Unbroken
by dreamer one
Summary: SG 1 and friends embark on a mind twisting journey through time and space in hopes of restoring the reality they fought to save. SJ
1. Chapter 1 Circle of Life

UNBROKEN

Summary: SG 1 and friends embark on a mind twisting journey through time and space in hopes of restoring the reality they fought to save.

A/N: Based very loosely on spoilers for upcoming films and SGA season 4, this story takes place after the Ark of Truth and before Sam Carter is assigned to Atlantis.

* * *

Chap 1: Circle of Life 

Clean up was not Sam Carter's idea of fun. Kicking alien butt, piloting cutting edge spacecraft and quality time with a certain Air Force general, now those things, they were fun. But clean up, whether in a kitchen or on a battle field, had never been one of her favorite tasks.

Of course life couldn't always be fun. As if to prove that point, SG1 had been dispatched to P5X-299 on the ultimate clean up mission. Only two days earlier, the allied fleet had successfully vanquished the combined forces of the remaining Ori and their minions. The pitched battle took place on and above the desert landscape of P5X-299. Many lives had been lost, yet the results were more than they had hoped. Finally, the greatest threat to the security of the known universe had been defeated. All that was left was the final confirmation of victory. They couldn't risk any surviving priors or Ori themselves hiding on this remote backwater planet. Their mission was clean up, pure and simple.

One way or another, this would be Sam's final mission as a member of SG1. She had mixed feelings about the momentous occasion. There was talk of a pending assignment to the Pegasus galaxy. As much as that possibility tickled her imagination and thrilled her sense of adventure, she dreaded the thought of separation from her new husband. What's more, she knew how much she'd miss her teammates. She had to talk with someone, hear what they thought about the Atlantis offer. Of course she'd already talked it to death with Jack, but he refused to limit her choices in any way, assuring her he'd support whatever she decided.

So, last night, before the mission, she spilled the beans about everything to Vala and the guys. She spilled all the beans, or just about.

Once the team recovered from the shock of learning Sam was married to Jack O'Neill, they'd been supportive, congratulating her profusely and wondering why they hadn't been included in the ceremony. Then the friends pulled together, looking at the pros and cons of the Atlantis assignment. As always, Sam was glad she'd taken them into her confidence.

OoOoOo

Cam Mitchell walked through the extensive debris field that was now P5X-299. Christened "Purgatory" by Daniel Jackson, the planet had been the focus of the team's attention for the last four months. In planning for the recent final battle, they'd mapped every square inch of terrain by satellite surveillance, while Sam, Dr. Lee and their team had done everything possible to demystify the unsettling magnetic forces surrounding the abandoned world. Abandoned that was, until the Ori had chosen it as their final hideout.

"Looks like we got 'em," Cam announced as he kicked yet another Ori artifact out of his way. "They're not looking so hallowed right about now."

"Indeed they are not," Teal'c confirmed. Although many of the bodies of the Ori followers had been vaporized in the battle, others remained strewn across the battlefield. Cam's flippant attitude aside, it was a somber sight to behold.

"I can hardly believe its over," Daniel said. "After all this time, everything that's happened, we won."

"You were expecting to lose?" Vala questioned, stopping to regard her paramour with a jaundiced eye.

"No, of course not," Daniel replied. "But I didn't expect such a decisive victory either. We've totally wiped them out."

"You almost sound sorry," Sam observed, stopping her forward motion to join the conversation. "You know it couldn't end any other way."

"You're right," he replied quickly. "I just wonder what they could have taught us, if…"

"Those miserable excuses for Ancients wouldn't have _taught_ us anything, Jackson," Cam replied impatiently. "Get over it, they got what they deserved."

"Okay," Sam said, stopping in her tracks and holding up a hand of warning. "Enough. This place is getting to all of us. I say we finish our sweep of the area and get the hell out of here." The last thing Sam wanted was to see her team needlessly sniping at each other. Walking amidst death had a way of making even the most professional military types anxious and irritable.

"No argument here," Cam replied.

"Indeed," Teal'c concurred.

OoOoOo

Within the hour, SG1 had completed their reconnaissance. Satisfied that all signs of the Ori stronghold had been wiped out, they headed towards the gate, more than ready to take their leave of Purgatory.

"Dial it up, Daniel," Cam ordered.

"With pleasure," Daniel replied, more than ready to be rid of this place of death.

Sam watched as the archeologist began to move toward the DHD. She felt the relief that came with imminent escape from this nightmare planet. With any luck, she'd be with Jack by tomorrow morning and the next part of their lives could begin. As it was she had yet another surprise for him; she could only hope he'd be happy about it as she was. Then they could make a decision about Atlantis.

Before Daniel could enter the first glyph, everything came to a screeching halt. While Sam watched, Daniel's forward movement ceased. Everything ceased. Unable to turn her head, Sam felt her breath catch in her chest. Slowly rising panic was fueled by the pulsating roar assailing her on all sides. As the figures of her friends lost cohesion before her eyes, the world went black.

OoOoOo

In the next moment, Samantha Carter was wiping sleep for her eyes.

_Where am I? _She wondered. _I was on Purgatory. _Sam's mind raced to fight the specter of sleep and make sense of what had happened.

Sitting up in an all too comfortable bed, she scanned her surroundings. On one level, the warm, inviting bedroom she now occupied was familiar. Her favorite colors, her down comforter, her bedclothes. Still, it wasn't right. No sign she shared this room with anyone else, no sign of Jack.

Had she been dreaming? Was she dreaming now?

_Where am I?_

TBC

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A/N: Couldn't resist one more story. Hope it grabs your interest. You know I love reviews! Please tell me what you think. 


	2. Chapter 2 Not Quite

Had she been dreaming? Was she dreaming now?

_Where am I?

* * *

_

Chapter 2: Not Quite the Same

Sam pulled herself up to a sitting position, readjusting her skimpy sleeping garment as she did so. It was weird. Last she knew she was dressed in full combat gear, holding a P-90. Now all that stood between her and her birthday suit was a tank top and a pair of panties. _This had better be good_, she thought.

Standing cautiously on wobbly legs, Sam got up from the bed and made her way warily around the room. It was familiar, but not quite hers. Something was off, more than one something, in fact. This wasn't her room.

Sam walked to the dresser, catching a look at her reflection in the mirror. _Okay, that isn't right,_ she thought. Immediately her hands reached up to smooth down her hair and, more importantly, assess its length. The hair she'd proudly grown out, now just past shoulder length, was once again styled in a short bob. She closed her eyes against the sight she knew was wrong, breathed deeply, and hoped to wake up somewhere else, but no luck. The woman looking back at her from the mirror still had short hair.

_Think, Sam_, she told herself. _Find a newspaper, pictures, phone. Find out what's going on._

Sam picked up the robe she found at the foot of the bed. She put it on and hugged it to herself against the chill. She was fairly certain it wasn't all that cold in the house. The chill was coming from inside her. She was in trouble; they were all in very big trouble. She could feel it.

With fresh resolve, Sam opened the bedroom door and walked into the next room. Again, the furniture, the arrangement, the colors, they were almost right, but not exactly. This wasn't her house. Seeing the fireplace tucked in the cozy living room was totally unexpected. At least she found the pictures she was looking for, freely gracing the fireplace mantle and drawing her rapt attention.

The faces looking back at her were all people she knew, people she loved. There was Daniel, smiling brightly at her, formally dressed and looking a bit geeky with his larger sized glasses. Of course, her brother Mark and his wife Karen were there posed in a Christmas shot with her niece Sara. _I wonder where Kyle and Adam are,_ she thought, missing her two older nephews. The next photo was of …Janet. She smiled to see her dear friend's face again then realized the portrait was of an older, grayer woman than she remembered. _Was Janet still alive here? If so, where was she?_

More carefully framed photos decorated the opposite wall. Shots of her and Mark, as adults with their father _and mother, _called out to her. Sam picked up the first picture and studied it closely, finally holding it to her chest. _Mom, alive? Was it possible?_

Still clutching the precious family photo, Sam scanned the rest of the wall for people she thought should be there. Teal'c, Vala, Cassie and of course, Jack. They were nowhere to be found. There was a framed shot of Cam though. And quite a shot it was. Sam figured prominently in the very same shot, held in a tight embrace by the man she'd known best as teammate and friend.

_Oh boy_, she thought. _I'm in trouble and Cam's a dead man._

OoOoOo

Twenty minutes later, Sam was showered and fully dressed. Although driven to find out as much as she could about the mystery she found herself in, Sam realized she couldn't do much dressed in her underwear. Besides, getting dressed provided a good deal of valuable information about what was and wasn't so in this particular "situation".

Going through the bathroom cabinets and the bedroom closet had been revealing. Though some of the clothing was indisputably hers, other items were things she wouldn't be caught dead wearing. Who'd bought them was beyond her imagination. Flashy, revealing dresses she was embarrassed to look at, much less wear stared back at her from one section of "her" closet.

Then there was a dress uniform; notably absent were most of the medals she'd earned over the past few years, as well as her eagles. Obviously she wasn't a Colonel here; in fact if she were to believe the insignias on her uniforms, she remained a lowly Captain. At least she was military, whatever that meant here.

Once again, there was no sign of Jack. Though he'd continued to live in Washington after their clandestine marriage, he'd stayed with her in Colorado Springs as often as he could, leaving changes of clothing and other supplies for his visits. But in this house, there was nothing to say her husband even existed. What's worse, Sam couldn't find her rings. Usually worn close to her heart with her dog tags, they were nowhere to be found.

OoOoOo

_We've been in these situations before, right?_ Sam told herself, her mind reeling with the possibilities that presented themselves. _I have to find out more. There has to be a way out of wherever this is!  
_

Before she could make plans, the phone rang. Supposedly "her" phone was ringing. Problem was she wasn't exactly sure who she was or who would be calling. Whoever it was, he was persistent. The phone kept ringing, and Sam kept stalling. Finally, she gave in. After all, what did she have to lose?

"Hello."

"Well, it took you long enough."

The voice was familiar. But … it couldn't be.

"Hey, you there kiddo?"

"Dad?"

"Who else calls you kiddo?"

Sam held the received away from her ear, looking at it, as if it were an alien device. He was dead. She'd seen him die. At least in her reality…

"Sam?"

"I'm here, Dad," she said, her heart pounding in her chest.

"Are you all right, Sam?"

"I'm fine, Dad," she lied. "Slept late, just getting up. Afraid I'm not quite awake."

"Well, that's not like you," Jacob commented. "Sure you're not sick again?"

_Again?_ Sam thought. _What now?_

"No Dad, I'm not sick," she said. Then determined to changed the subject, "How are you?"

"Good," Jacob replied. "But I miss my little girl. How about a visit?"

"Sure," Sam said, feeling tears ready to fall. God, she missed him. "What are you thinking?"

"This afternoon, I'll be in town," Jacob said. "It's fundraising, you know. I'm afraid I won't be able to make it to your place. I'll send a car for you. We'll catch dinner before I have to head out."

_Fundraising? What is he talking about?_

"Sam…"

"Yeah, Dad," Sam said, mentally shaking herself to reply. "Okay, dinner it is."

TBC

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A/N: I promised myself I'd never write an alternate universe, alternate reality, alternate anything story. Moral of that story, never say never! 


	3. Chapter 3 People I Know

"_Sam…"_

"_Yeah, Dad," Sam said, mentally shaking herself to reply. "Okay, dinner it is."_

* * *

Chapter 3: People I Know

Sam reluctantly hung up the phone, tears in her eyes. Her father was alive, at least in this reality. What she wouldn't give to see him again. It had been two years since he and Selmak died within minutes of each other. She wondered if this Jacob Carter even knew who Selmak was.

_Get a hold of yourself_, she thought. _This isn't a reunion. It's a puzzle and a lot depends on how quickly you can figure it out._ It wasn't like she could walk up to her father or anyone else for that matter and calmly announce that she was from an alternate reality, universe, timeline or whatever. Fact was she still wasn't sure _what _the problemwas. For the time being she was going to have to play along with the role she was given and gather as much intel as she could.

Jack, she needed to reach Jack. Wherever he was, Sam was sure he'd be able to help her. It never occurred to her that their relationship in any reality would be less than cordial. In all innocence, Sam tried the private cell number she had for her husband. With little expectation that it would actually work given current circumstances, she wasn't overly disappointed when curtly told she had a wrong number. Her next best guess was to try him on his home phone. Sure enough, someone picked up on the fourth ring.

"Hello," a youthful feminine voice answered.

Taking a deep breath Sam replied, "Hello, I'd like to speak with Jack O'Neill please."

"I'm sorry, Jack isn't at home right now," the faceless woman answered. "I'll be happy to give him a message."

Sam recognized the voice. Kerry, Kerry was in Jack's house. But Kerry had left the Springs over two years ago, at least in the reality Sam knew.

"No, that won't be necessary," Sam said once she'd regained her composure. "I'll reach him another time."

Before Sam could hang up, Kerry accurately guessed the caller's voice as well.

"Sam, is that you?" she asked.

She couldn't do this right now. She wanted to hang up and pretend she'd never called. But that was the coward's way out. She'd never find out what she needed to know like that.

"Yes, it's Sam," she answered, as truthfully as she could. After all, from what she remembered, Kerry had always been more than gracious to her, even on that horrid day in Jack's backyard.

"Are you alright, Sam?" Kerry asked in a tone one might use with a small child. This was the second person in the past hour who'd asked if she was okay. She sensed a pattern here.

"I'm fine, Kerry," Sam said, attempting to confirm the identity of the woman with whom she spoke.

"You know you aren't supposed to call here," Kerry said as gently as she could.

_Okay, so what's that about?_ Sam wondered.

"I don't want to cause any trouble," Sam tried to play along. "But I really do need to talk with Jack."

"Sam…"

"Please, Kerry."

"I'll let him know you called," Kerry said, her voice tentative and clearly reluctant.

"Thank you. I appreciate it," Sam said, her head spinning. She wanted to ask Kerry what she was doing in Jack's house, but thought better of it. She wasn't sure she really wanted to know. Instead of seeking any new information, Sam simply hung up, took her now aching head in her hands and considered her next move.

OoOoOo

At 1200 hours, the winter sun was high enough to wake a very groggy Cameron Mitchell. Always one to reach wakefulness quickly, Cam opened his eyes and jumped to his feet in a single fluid movement.

"What the …!" he exclaimed, taking in his totally unexpected surroundings. Last he knew he was on Purgatory, waiting for Daniel to dial the gate. _That was only seconds ago, so what was this?_

Walking over to the window, he looked out. Getting a clear view of a busy thoroughfare outside wherever he was did nothing to help his sense of disorientation.

_Where's Carter when you need her_? He thought. His head was spinning. Still, he couldn't imagine gating directly to bed, no matter how tired he was.

"Carter," he yelled, determined to get some help figuring out his current situation. Cam chuckled as he continued to wake up. _What the heck would Samantha Carter be doing in my bedroom? _He wondered.

As luck would have it, the befuddled Air Force officer chose that very moment to gaze at the lone photo displayed on the nightstand. It was none other than Samantha Carter. And what a photo it was. No uniform in evidence here. An off the shoulder sky blue number accenting her eyes was a small part of this stunning head shot. But the best part was the breathtaking smile that seemed to reach out and grab his heart. Wow, maybe he'd found his way into General O'Neill's bedroom.

That poorly conceived little fantasy was interrupted by an unexpected call. Reasoning that wherever he was, he might as well start figuring things out, Cam picked up the phone on the second ring.

"Yeah …" Cam answered, none too pleasantly.

"Cam, is that you?"

"Sam?"

"Yeah, it's me," Sam answered cautiously. After Jack, the brilliant astrophysicist saw Cam Mitchell as her best bet to make sense of this. He and Daniel were with her on Purgatory. Maybe he… then again, maybe he'd mean more trouble in this particular situation. She certainly didn't need a boyfriend.

"Thank God!" Cam exclaimed. "Now you can tell me what the hell is going on!"

_Okay, that's a good sign_, Sam thought. _Maybe he's as out of place as I am. _Then again, maybe he just forgot the time for their next date.

"What do you mean, Cam?" Sam asked staying non-committal.

"Where the hell are we?" Cam asked irritably. "That's what I mean, Sam. I was just on Purgatory, how 'bout you?"

"I can't tell you how relieved I am," Sam breathed. "Cam, I think I'm losing it here. I've been awake about three hours and I've already had a call from my Dad."

"You're kidding, right?"

"No, it was him," Sam insisted. "I'm seeing him this afternoon. Hopefully he can give me a better idea of where we are."

"Yeah, that's what I was hoping you could do for me," Cam said.

"Well, as Jack would say, we're not in Kansas anymore," Sam quipped, trying to lighten the mood.

"Funny," Cam replied, surprised even Sam could joke at a time like this. "Have you heard from Jackson or the others?"

"No, you're the second person I've tried."

"Yeah? Second, not first huh?"

"I tried to reach Jack," Sam admitted.

"And?"

"Things are different," Sam said vaguely. "I may hear from him later."

"Alright," Cam said. "I'd better find out where I am. By the way, where are you?"

"Colorado Springs."

"From the looks of the road outside my window, I'd say I'm in a bigger playground than that," Cam said. "I'm gonna see what I can find out, maybe try and reach Jackson. Vala and Teal'c don't even _have _phones."

"That's true," Sam admitted. "While you're looking around a bit, I need to get ready to see my Dad."

As they talked, Cam managed a cursory perusal of his immediate surroundings. Leaving the bedroom area, he was impressed by the spacious living quarters that awaited him. Then he saw it, the morning paper sitting happily on a breakfast table along with what was undoubtedly room service at a better than average hotel.

"Washington, Sam," Cam announced out of context. "I'm in Washington, D.C. The Washington Hilton, if I'm not mistaken."

OoOoOo

On opposite ends of the country, Sam Carter and Cam Mitchell struggled to make sense of their situations. After agreeing to talk further later tonight, they'd said goodbye, intent on their individual roles and their shared predicament.

Sam spent part of the afternoon doing her best to reach Daniel. She fervently hoped he too would retain the knowledge of the "real" life they'd shared. But nothing was guaranteed, and right now very little made sense. How in the world did they end up here?

Having no luck finding Daniel, Sam walked around her neighborhood, greeting the few people she met. They certainly seemed to know her. Try as she may, Sam couldn't place a one of them. Inevitably they politely asked about her health, her job and "that nice boy, Cam". She answered sweetly and pumped them gently for information about herself and what they knew about her. It seemed even here she worked in a hush/hush job; either that or she really was in the deep space radar telemetry research where her neighbors thought she spent most of her waking hours. Couldn't be, could it?

Now she was dressed, waiting for … her Dad. As much as Sam Carter needed to keep her wits about her right now, to be the consummate professional she was, her heart was beating out of her chest. _Stay focused_, she willed herself.

As she attempted to calm her racing nerves, the doorbell rang. _Only the driver_, she told herself. _Remember he said he was sending "a car" whatever that meant._

Opening the front door, Sam came face to face with the driver. A young man, not much older than the youngest airmen at the SGC was calmly waiting for her. At the curb, Sam glimpsed a black Towne Car, with "a driver" behind the wheel. _What did he do, send an entourage?_

Dressed in a tailored black suit, the young man was the essence of government professionalism. He fixed Sam with his almost black, onyx eyes and introduced himself.

"Ma'am," he said, "I'm Agent Harris. I'm here to take you to your father."

Sam was certain she must have looked puzzled.

"Agent?" she questioned.

"Yes, Ma'am," Harris replied. When it was clear the Samantha Carter remained confused, he clarified, "Agent Harris, Secret Service."

* * *

TBC

A/N: So far the story hasn't received as many hits as I'd hoped, but your reviews have been more than encouraging!!! Thanks so much. Hope you are having half as much fun with this as I am.

Production will slow down a bit as I tackle the work week again, but never fear. I'm aiming for at least another couple chapters this week.


	4. Chapter 4 Dad's Back

Chapter 4: Dad's Back

The ride across town was a blur.

Sitting in the back seat of the Towne Car, Sam made half hearted efforts to inquire about her father. To her frustration, all questions were met with the standard non-committal answers favored by top-secret government employees. "He's fine, Ma'am. He's been rather busy, Ma'am. He's looking forward to seeing you Ma'am." Those were the more in-depth responses Agent Harris provided during the half hour drive. The rest were little more than head nods and cryptic noises.

Now, Sam waited impatiently in the VIP suite at the convention center. In a rare show of gratuitous information giving, Agent Harris told her Jacob was finishing up a speech to the Colorado Republican Committee. The idea of her father giving a speech on anything other than troop deployments was foreign to Sam. She couldn't imagine what he'd find to say to a partisan re-election committee. Anyway, she'd find out soon enough.

And so she did.

"Sam!" Her father's voice boomed from the doorway. He was clearly delighted to see his only daughter.

Startled, Sam jumped to her feet and turned toward the sound of Jacob's voice. It was him. Her dad, he was alive! Unbidden, tears formed and began to fall. She approached Jacob tentatively, afraid to believe he was really here and certain on some level it wasn't him at all.

"Dad…"

Though she tried to make it sound like a greeting, her voice carried an unmistakable question. In spite of her resolve, Sam froze as Jacob closed the distance between them, concern bright in his eyes.

"You okay, honey?" Jacob asked sincerely.

"Sure, Dad," Sam answered. "I'm fine, a little surprised you're on time, is all."

"Cute," Jacob responded to the attempt at teasing levity. "When have I ever kept my favorite daughter waiting?"

"Ah … since I was three?" Sam suggested, easily slipping into the friendly banter.

"Okay, you win," Jacob admitted with a smile. "It's the curse of a politician." With that Jacob moved to wrap his arms around Sam.

Sam relaxed into Jacob's embrace. It was wonderful to be with him again. It wasn't real; she knew it wasn't real. Still, it was wonderful to be in his arms. _Politician?_

"Hey," Jacob said, noticing the tears in his daughter's eyes as she pulled back to face him. "What's wrong, Sam?"

"Nothing, Dad," she lied. "I'm happy to see you. It's been a while."

"Really?"

"Yes, really."

"I have to admit, you look great," Jacob said. Purposefully, the older man pulled back from the embrace to carefully observe his daughter's demeanor. He didn't see her half as often as he knew he should, especially after she'd been so ill for so long. In fact, it had been three months. He knew he should be ashamed of himself. Nothing was as important as family. His wife kept trying to teach him that lesson. In this particular area, Jacob Carter was a poor student.

Now as he looked at Sam, he realized he needn't have worried. Despite her tears, she looked well, beautiful in fact. The sharply dressed, fit woman in front of him belied any active mental illness. Certainly this didn't look like a woman in the throes of psychotic depression. It had been years since he'd seen her looking so well. Whatever was happening in her life, things seemed to be looking up.

"I can't get over it," Jacob said. "You look like your old self."

Sam had no idea what Jacob was talking about. _What old self_, she wondered. She hardly knew who she was now, let alone how she may have changed.

"Whatever do you mean?" She asked, keeping her tone light and non-committal.

"You know we've all been worried about you," Jacob said. "Only three months ago you were back in that hospital, really out of it. Now look at you. I had no idea how much better you were."

"The hospital was good for me," Sam played along.

"You weren't saying that a few weeks ago," Jacob replied. "As I remember, you were complaining about having to follow up with outpatient treatment. You weren't even taking your meds."

At that moment, there was a knock on the door of the suite.

"Come," Jacob called.

It was Agent Harris.

"Mr. President," he said, "the car's ready when you are."

"Thank you, David."

_Mr. President?_

OoOoOo

That night, Jack O'Neill arrived home later than expected. His plane had been delayed by weather. Normally, his young wife turned in before he arrived home on these late nights. They'd agreed some time ago that she'd do whatever it took to have the energy needed for the couple's one year old twins.

Tonight was an exception to the rule. Kerry had made every effort to stay awake to greet her husband. The phone call she'd received today had shaken her badly. For the most part Kerry had been incredibly happy with Jack for the past two years. The birth of the twins seemed to cement their relationship. Kerry loved her adorable babies and thrilled to the happiness they'd so clearly brought to their father.

Jack had been miserable when Kerry first met him, nearly three years ago. At the time, Jack had finally concluded contentious divorce proceedings with a woman whose sanity was in question to this very day. From the start, Kerry knew Jack O'Neill had lost a great deal. For all her faults, he'd loved his first wife, Samantha Carter. Then there was the child. Moving on hadn't been easy.

OoOoOo

A/N: I know, I know… Jack/Kerry is painful. Remember this is AU, AR or whatever. And the backstory will make it more understandable and sufficiently angsty (and you know I love happy endings). Please hang in there with me. More shall be revealed.

Thanks so much for your reviews!!


	5. Chapter 5 A Talk with My Friend

_From the start, Kerry knew Jack O'Neill had lost a great deal. For all her faults, he'd loved his first wife, Samantha Carter. Then there was the child. Moving on hadn't been easy._

* * *

Chapter 5: A Talk with My Friend

Sam returned "home" only minutes before the scheduled check-in from Cam. As she closed the door behind her, she stopped to catch her breath. Leaning against the closed door, she breathed deeply, inhaling the peaceful darkness of the split level ranch home. At least this was vaguely familiar.

Her father was President of the United States. _Holy Hannah! _Then she corrected herself. _The Jacob Carter of this reality is President of the United States. There is a difference, a big difference._ This man was not her father; as much as he looked like him, as much as she wanted him to be, he wasn't. If she forgot that important point, she might find herself stuck here, in this reality, forever. Who was she kidding? She might be stuck here anyway.

Sam was so distracted by this inner dialog that she barely heard the phone. It had been ringing nearly a minute before she finally picked it up.

"What took you so long?" Cam asked.

"Sorry. I was thinking," she apologized.

"You do that a lot."

"Not pick up the phone?"

"No, think," Cam clarified. "Hey, we need to decide what we're going to do. We don't belong here."

"Ya think?" Sam quipped. "What else have you found out?"

"For one thing, I work for your husband," he answered.

"For Jack?"

"That's the one. Seems I'm a private aerospace contractor," Cam said, "And a pretty wealthy one at that."

"So how does that tie in with Jack?" Sam asked. Then as an afterthought, "By the way, from what I can tell Jack's not my husband in this reality."

"Apparently Jack reports directly to the President, as in of the United States, doing some damn high level stuff," Cam said, sounding effectively impressed. "I couldn't get any specifics by phone or Internet search. I figure I'll go into 'my' office tomorrow and try from there."

"I'll see what I can find out from my Dad," Sam said absently. Then remembering Cam had no idea what she was talking about, "By the way, my dad _is_ the President of the United States. How do you like those apples?"

For once, Cam was speechless, but only for a moment.

"Sam, I hate to say it, but how are we getting out of here. This is crazy!"

"Yeah, well be grateful. You're rich," Sam observed. "Apparently, I have a psychiatric history."

"Thanks for warning me."

"Funny," Sam said, not amused in the least. "Do you have any leads on Daniel?"

"As a matter of fact, I do," Cam announced.

"Wow, that's great," Sam enthused. "I couldn't find a trace of him."

"Well you aren't the CEO of a multimillion dollar company."

"So where is he?" Sam persisted.

"Egypt, somewhere in Egypt, at least that's what his father tells me."

_His father?_ _Daniel's parents are dead. At least my Daniel's parents are dead,_ Sam thought. _But I suppose that's beside the point._

"Okay. Daniel in this reality is probably an Egyptologist and now we know he's in Egypt. How does that help us?" Sam asked aloud. "Do we know how to contact him?"

"Not yet," Cam said. "But, with my world wide contacts and all, it shouldn't be that hard."

"Geesh!" Sam exclaimed. "Cam, be serious. You know we're going to need Daniel's help."

"Easy, Sam," Cam replied, trying to calm her. "I know we're in trouble. Nothing wrong with trying to have a little fun, is there? Seriously, my people should be able to track him down by the end of the day tomorrow. That's if he doesn't reach out to us first."

_My people?_ Sam thought.

"Okay, fair enough," Sam relented. "Cam, I can't shake the feeling there's some bad stuff going on here. My Dad, the people assigned to protect him, they're worried."

"Think about it, there's a reason we're here Sam," Cam said. "Something went down, something big."

"You mean someone or something altered the timeline?"

"That's your department, Dr. Colonel Carter-O'Neill," Cam said. "But yes, that would be my first guess."

"Mine too," Sam admitted. "But what, who? There are very few possible suspects. And why now?" After a breath, "We need more information."

* * *

TBC

A/N: I know, I know… very short chapter. But at least there are regular updates to the story, right. Hopefully each chapter will advance the story line a bit.

I haven't written Cam before and haven't watched many of his episodes. Constructive criticism would be most appreciated.

Thanks to all for your reviews!!!


	6. Chapter 6 Out of Egypt

"_Think about it, there's a reason we're here Sam," Cam said. "Something went down, something big."_

"_You mean someone or something altered the timeline?"_

* * *

Chapter 6: Out of Egypt.

Fifty miles outside Cairo, Daniel Jackson supervised a small cadre of men on an isolated dig. Hoping to unearth evidence supporting what many considered outlandish explanations for the existence of the ancient pyramids, the young, poorly funded Egyptologist did whatever was necessary to motivate his flagging spirit. Recently those efforts included spending time with Akila, his latest love interest.

In itself, this day was no different from those that went before it. But for this Daniel, it was a day of contradictions. Only a few hours ago, he'd woken up to find Akila in his arms, surrendering to blissful delight. Now as he watched his crew labor over the ruins of a small, unrecognized pyramid, Akila standing less than a meter from his side, he wondered who this woman was.

One moment he'd been carrying on as if he'd been here all his life; the next, he could have sworn he didn't belong here, not now. He didn't know these people, any of them. Still he had the nagging feeling that he _should _know them. Though Akila's actions in the past few hours made it clear they were intimately involved, he had no specific memory of those moments or the woman herself before this day. But she was familiar.

On the other hand, everyone here seemed to know him. From what he could tell, he was well liked and most likely a fair-minded, even-handed boss. That was something.

But how had he gotten here from Purgatory? That was the $64,000 question. It wasn't that long ago he'd started to dial home from the alien world, anxious for a hot shower and a good meal. From what he could tell, perusing his bedraggled, hard working crew, he'd had neither.

Daniel was no stranger to the concept of alternate realities. He'd experienced one too many during his early years on SG1. But this was different. As far as he could tell, he retained the memories of the Daniel Jackson who'd magically appeared here from Purgatory, on top of some vague recollections of the man Akila and the others knew as Daniel. He assumed knowing something about himself in this world would be a good thing. But for the moment it was downright confusing.

"Hanif," Daniel called the foreman of his crew, surprising himself that he knew the name. "I'll be in the tent. I need to take a break."

"Yes, Dr. Jackson. I will call if we find anything."

OoOoOo

As far as Daniel could recall his alter-ego hadn't discovered much of anything for at least five years. His expeditions hadn't exactly been self supporting propositions. He had the sense a relative must have bankrolled his digs over the past few years. _Exactly what might have happened to me if I hadn't discovered the Stargate project, _he thought

Here in the tent where he'd woken this morning, Daniel tried again to get his bearings. His last few hours had been exhausting, trying to make sense of the discrepancies in his mind. Both sets of memories couldn't be accurate.

His mind drifted back to Purgatory, the last place that made sense, if you could call it that. The first two glyphs had locked in place on the Stargate, before … before everything changed. _The Stargate…_ Daniel closed his eyes and pictured the gate on Purgatory, struggling to recall the symbols. The struggle surprised him. After ten years with the program, he'd become increasingly familiar with the glyphs and knew this particular address by heart. At least, he had.

To his shocked surprise, Daniel realized even the concept of the Stargate was alien, even frightening to part of him, the part he'd met only today. The Daniel Jackson of this reality had no knowledge of the Stargate, as if it had never existed. _No wonder he's stuck here, going nowhere,_ Daniel thought. _If he only knew!_

While Daniel tried to wrap his mind around his confusion, Akila silently walked up behind him. In spite of himself, Daniel jumped as she reached out to touch his shoulder.

"I am sorry, darling," Akila said. "I did not intend to startle you. You are troubled."

Daniel turned around to face the woman whose devotion was more than obvious.

"Yes, I am troubled," Daniel said. "I'm not feeling well. I need to make a phone call, talk with a doctor." To Daniel's distress, the expedition didn't have access to a satellite phone.

"Akila, where's the nearest phone?"

"At the Holland dig, five miles north of here," she replied, more than surprised her lover had to ask.

"Alright, then," Daniel said. "I'll be gone for awhile …"

"Daniel," Akila called. "I'll ride with you. You shouldn't go alone."

Daniel considered how he could get in the Jeep without Akila, but she wasn't making it easy. Finally, he gave in.

"Fine, let's go," he said. "You drive?"

OoOoOo

After a hot twenty minute drive, Akila and Daniel arrived at the Holland dig.

_This is more like it_, he thought. _The dig I should be on. Well equipped, well funded. I'll bet these folks don't talk about pyramids as landing pads for alien spaceships_

As he made his way to the middle of the central enclosure, intent of finagling a call on the dig's satellite phone, he was met by the leader of the expedition. A tall, well built, dark complexioned man in his early forties, Leonard Richardson appeared disturbed.

"Jackson, is there a Doctor Jackson here?" he asked, clearly irritated, wondering why a stranger would have wandered onto his dig.

"I'm Dr. Jackson," Daniel volunteered.

"Fine," Richardson said. "You have a call. Make it quick, the man calling seems to think he's the second coming, but I'm not impressed."

_I have a call?_ Daniel thought skeptically. _Who? Maybe it's whoever's funding my dig. Better take it._

While Akila did her best to make nice and distract the very proprietary Richardson, Daniel answered the phone.

"Hello … this is Daniel Jackson."

"It's about time Jackson!"

"Cam?"

"None other, buddy," Cam replied.

"What's going on?"

"You don't know either, huh?"

"Uh … NO?" Daniel acknowledged.

"Well that makes three of us."

"So Sam's with you?"

"No, but we're in contact; she doesn't know much more than I do."

"Alright," Daniel said after a stressed moment of silence. "We need to get together and share what we know. By the way, how did you find me?"

"It appears I have limitless financial resources in this particular reality," Cam said. "And did I mention I'm smart."

"You've mentioned it a few times," Daniel said. "So where do we meet? More importantly, can you send me money for plane fare?"

TBC

* * *

A/N: Thanks for reading! 


	7. Chapter 7 Another Jack

Chapter 7: Another Jack

July in Colorado Springs was a lovely time of year. At a sunny seventy-six degrees, the balmy weather was a perfect backdrop for a casual lunch in one of the outdoor cafes gracing the newly remodeled downtown area. Under different circumstances, meeting Jack O'Neill here would have been idyllic. As it was, it was anything but.

Sam arrived at the popular café a full fifteen minutes before her "date" with Jack. He'd gotten in touch with her shortly after her brief conversation with Kerry and agreed to meet her. He had, however, insisted they meet in a public place. Though puzzled by his condition, she'd agreed. Now, despite the pleasant noon-time temperatures, Sam could feel a chill of foreboding course through her body as Jack approached her table.

Only twenty four hours earlier, Sam had been relieved to know she could see Jack. After all, for years the man had been a source of inspiration, safety and protection. But now, now she knew something was terribly out of place. This time, this reality was skewed in ways she couldn't begin to imagine.

"Hi," the tall, lean figure standing in front of her said somberly.

"Hi," Sam replied, nearly on a whisper, taking in the essence of the man she knew so well in another time, another place.

Sharing Sam's trepidation, yet for totally different reasons, Jack took a seat at the small round table. Carefully, he positioned himself to Sam's right where he could easily avoid eye contact when necessary. But for the moment, he found all he could do was gaze directly at her. She was beautiful, the way he remembered her before everything had gone wrong. And he still loved her. In spite of everything, he still loved her.

"How are you, Sam?" Jack asked sincerely, restraining a wayward impulse to reach for her hand.

"I'm well, thank you," Sam replied cautiously. "You?"

"Good. Busy, but you didn't call me to discuss how busy we all are," he observed. His eyes never leaving hers, Jack continued, "What's wrong? How can I help?"

Sam smiled wanly, unsure of where to go from here. She longed to blurt out everything, take this erstwhile stranger into her confidence. But that wasn't to be. There was too much riding on her decision.

"I _am_ well, really I am," Sam asserted in her most confident voice. "But I'm confused about some things. I hoped you could help me."

"Fire away," Jack replied, a familiar grin gracing his face, an all too familiar feeling of protectiveness scaring the living daylights out of him.

"Okay," Sam said, as the waiter delivered two coffees and lunch menus. "I know I've been sick, but I'm better now. I'm trying to understand what's happened and where I go from here." That much was true. Sam wanted to get as much information from Jack as she could in order to know where to go next.

"And…?"

"What happened? To me, to us?"

"What happened? Just like that? What happened?" Jack said, wondering whether he could have this conversation.

"I don't think I was able to understand before … before the last hospital stay," she said, drawing on the small pieces of information she'd obtained from Jacob. "I'd like to understand. Then I can move on."

Jack looked at her. She looked so much like the Samantha he'd fallen for eight years ago. Confident, lovely, full of life, he hadn't seen her this way in years. Maybe she was right, maybe this last treatment had helped. Who was he to say it hadn't?

"Alright," he said, slowly sipping his coffee. "What do you want to know?"

Sam couldn't help herself. She had to know. Maybe in some way, it would help her with the bigger problem, getting her team home.

"What happened to us?" she asked.

Jack flinched as if he'd been punched in the gut. He'd divorced Sam Carter four years ago, but he'd never gotten over her. The woman who'd stolen his heart the moment they'd met at an Air Force awards ceremony, still held his emotions firmly in her hands. Sam was right; they'd never sat down and talked about what went wrong. They'd simply drifted irrevocably apart.

"You sure you want to do this here?" he asked.

"No, but if I don't, we might not talk at all."

_She certainly knows me,_ Jack thought.

Jack nodded his agreement, as a well meaning waiter approached wondering if they wanted to order lunch. Sam shook her head and Jack motioned the young man away.

"I don't feel much like eating either," Jack said. He silently watched the woman he knew as his ex-wife, appreciating her anew. "Everything changed after Charlie," Jack said, as if waiting for her agreement.

"Charlie …?" Sam questioned gently, hoping Jack would fill in the gaps.

Seeing the question in Sam's eyes, Jack continued, "When he died, we were both so sad. You blamed yourself. I tried Sam, but I couldn't give you what you needed."

Sam had no words to respond, her mind struggling to make sense of what this Jack O'Neill was telling her. She was certain she saw moisture in his eyes, something he tried valiantly to hide.

"I'm sorry," Jack said sincerely. "I've wanted to say that to you for a long time."

"I don't understand," Sam admitted, lapsing back into silence.

He couldn't help himself. With infinite gentleness, Jack reached across the table, his hand meeting Sam's. When she didn't pull away, he tenderly wrapped his long fingers around her smaller hand.

"You blamed yourself for our son's death," Jack said, believing he was repeating what Sam already knew. "I wasn't strong enough to comfort you."

Sam closed her eyes, sudden realization dawning. In this world, a boy named Charlie had been their child. Once again, the tragic death of that child had destroyed Jack O'Neill's marriage. _Oh God,_ she thought, _in this reality Jack and I lost a child, our child.._

Sam was startled by the intensity of her own emotional reaction. She knew this wasn't her Jack. Still she wanted to take him in her arms and make it better. Instead she voiced her true feeling.

"I'm sorry we didn't stay together," she said, her voice soft and low. "I thought we could make it through anything."

Jack blew out a small breath and closed his eyes for a moment. "Me too, Sam, but losing Charlie was too much. You got sick, I pulled away."

"And now?" Sam asked, needing to know where she stood in this reality.

"I care about Kerry," Jack said. "We have children; I love them, that won't ever change."

_Children? They had children together!_

"But I'll always be here if you need me," Jack added. "It has to be different, but I'll do all I can."

The voice, the intensity, the timbre, the tone were Jack's. His chocolate brown eyes locked with hers and Sam felt her own tears begin to fall.

"I know," Sam said, squeezing Jack's hand gently. She'd lost her husband in this reality, However it had happened, their marriage was over and Jack had moved on to someone else. Now Sam needed to find her way back to her own husband, to her Jack.

"Come on," she said, pulling her hand from his and slowly standing up. "Let's take a walk. There's something I need to tell you.

TBC


	8. Chapter 8 The Way It Happened

A/N: Some good questions have been asked in the reviews. Points well taken. Please rest assured, as you learn more about the reality SG1 is currently in, all will be revealed and explained, at least as well as it usually is in scifi! (or so I hope)

OoOoOo

"_Come on," she said, pulling her hand from his and slowly standing up. "Let's take a walk. There's something I need to tell you._

* * *

Chapter 8: The Way It Happened

Jack readily agreed to walk the quiet shop-lined streets of the downtown area. The layout and atmosphere of the once popular shopping area was far different from what Sam remembered. Low key, with fewer upscale shops and fewer shoppers clogging the streets, they could have been walking in a park. On a gorgeous summer's day like this, the area was normally bustling with activity, at least in Sam's world.

Those changes, however, were the least of Sam's worries today. Walking side by side with a man she'd loved in at least two realities, Sam agonized over what to tell him. More than anything, she wanted to lay it all on the line, tell him about her team's predicament, and ask for his help. _But things are different here, really different_, she reminded herself. It was possible Jack knew nothing about the Stargate. If that were the case, mentioning such a thing would be a sign she needed further psychiatric hospitalization. At the moment, that wasn't a chance she could afford to take.

Instead, she chose a safer, more tentative approach, a fishing expedition she hoped would net some much needed information.

Sam breathed deeply to steady herself, appreciating the extraordinary freshness of the clear, crisp air.

"I wanted to ask your opinion on something," Sam began as they strolled along.

"Like what?" Jack asked. "You know I _love _telling people what I think."

Sam chuckled softly, "Yeah, I remember that about you."

"Just so you do," he confirmed, offering a lopsided grin as he remembered their good natured disagreements back when their lives were filled with love.

Sam smiled in return. "As I was saying, I'm thinking over some possibilities for career advancement."

"Glad to hear it," Jack enthused, easily recalling recent days when Sam wasn't interested in anything, let alone work. "Getting a bit bored with Deep Space Radar Telemetry, are we?"

"In fact, I am," Sam sighed. "Did you know my dad used to think my job was a cover for a top secret military operation at the Mountain?"

"Is it?"

"Not that I know," Sam answered in a light tone.

"Exactly! Jack quipped. "Sometimes Deep Space Radar is just Deep Space Radar."

_I was right_, Sam thought. _Things_ are _different here._

"Anyway, I've been thinking," Sam continued aloud. "There've been rumors in the labs about a top secret alien transportation device, something called a Stargate. I'm thinking of doing some research, see if it really exists."

"And you thought I might know something about it."

"Well, you are my father's top secret keeper, from what I hear," Sam suggested.

"Why thank you for the promotion, Ma'am," Jack said genially, his stride slowing noticeably. "But if there is such a thing, it's news to me."

With that, Jack slowed to a stop and the two estranged lovers turned to face each other, directly outside a fairly deserted ice cream stand. Jack's face was a blank slate, devoid of emotion, a look Sam hadn't seen since he'd arrived at the café. It was the look of the consummate military professional, the look he got whenever he was trying to keep a Top Secret something from her.

_How do I even know that?_ Sam wondered. _My Jack never had to keep things from me._

His studied look in place, Jack took hold of Sam's shoulders and said earnestly, "As far as I know there is no such thing as a Stargate thingie on Earth. Now, how about directing that incredibly curious, brilliant mind of yours in another direction, maybe, say, cheap energy, I don't know … gas that doesn't cost four dollars a gallon. You know …"

Sam smiled in spite of herself. He was covering; whatever it was she obviously didn't have clearance. But that was for another day.

"I'll consider it," she said. "If I come up with anything, you'll be the first one to know. You can use it to power those experimental aircraft you're always developing," she teased, fishing for more information about Jack's professional relationship with Cam Mitchell.

"You know about that?"

"Don't worry," she admonished. "All I know is 'experimental aircraft'."

"That's good," Jack said. "For a minute there I thought I'd have to fire Mitchell. Can't have security leaks, you know. By the way, how are you two doing?" As soon as the question was out, Jack regretted it; the last thing he wanted to hear about was Sam's relationship with her new boyfriend.

"It's good Jack," Sam said reflexively. "Cam's a good man."

"Yeah, he is," Jack agreed. Though it still hurt to see anyone else with Sam, he'd developed a grudging respect for the non-military test pilot turned entrepreneur. "I want you to be happy, Sam."

"I know," Sam said simply, tears threatening once more. This was about all the angst she could take for one conversation. "Hey, how about some ice cream," she suggested lightly.

"Thought you'd never ask."

OoOoOo

Late that night, Sam received a phone call from Cameron Mitchell, letting her know Daniel was onboard. In fact, Cam had taken the liberty of setting up a meeting for the three of them in Colorado Springs, day after tomorrow.

_What a day it's been! _Sam thought, coming to the end of thirty-six hours in this strangely familiar place. _I've lost Jack_ and _a son I never knew I had. And if Jack's telling the whole story, we've lost the Stargate too. If that's the case, I have no idea how to get us back. Who am I kidding? I have to figure out where we are before I can even think about getting us home! What do I tell the guys when they get here? They're counting on me to figure this out._

With that thought, she turned on her home computer. There wasn't a lot on it. Dry research material devoted to Deep Space Radar and upcoming seminars she was presenting. _Okay, that's no help_, she thought despondently. Turning her attention to the Internet, Sam found she was limited to a lowly DSL connection with no special government clearance. Frustrated, she began to search for anything she could find to tell her more about this reality. News sites were as good a place as any to start.

What she found rocked her world.

TBC

* * *

A/N: Work was exceedingly stressful today; I used my break to write this chapter. Great relaxation! Hope you enjoyed it.

Thanks again for reading and reviewing._  
_


	9. Chapter 9 Worse Than I Thought

A/N: Three tissue alert!

OoOoOo

_What she found rocked her world._

* * *

Chapter 9: Worse Than I Thought 

Sam didn't get much sleep that night. Once she started her Internet search, she couldn't seem to stop. One thing led to another, one news video to another, searching for as much background as she could find.

The news sites were full of it. Continuing coverage of a odd sort of decades long conflict dominated the reports. Everything else in the news seemed to revolve around that one central fact of life. Surprisingly, the nations of the world seemed to take it for granted.

Apparently, in this reality, the Second World War never completely came to an end. For some reason Sam had yet to understand, an agreement had been reached among the main combatants to limit the scope of the war. An isolated desert landscape had been designated as the last battlefield where warring parties came to have at it. And have at it they had. For over sixty years, the battle had continued to rage.

The enormity of the conflict was overwhelming. Though geographically confined to an area normally devoid of dense population centers, the yearly death toll was astronomical. That morbid number was widely displayed on a variety of web sites Sam accessed that night alone. Some, like the one sponsored by a leading TV news network, touted only the cold, hard facts. These sites displayed numbers of casualties suffered by each side, sometimes broken down by sex, sometimes by nationality. Others chose a more graphic, partisan display, complete with streaming video, heralding the relative victories of one side or the other. It was unbelievable.

Sixty years, and no one had triumphed. From what Sam could make out, every five years or so, casualties equalized on both sides, with no one taking a clear advantage in the long run. The feuding powers were still referred to as the Allies and the Axis, yet another sign that in some ways this world had never outgrown the convoluted political situation of the mid-twentieth century.

If Sam read the statistics correctly, now, more than sixty years after the armistice was signed in her reality, each side continued to lose an average of one hundred thousand people per year. The accounts she read expressed relief that few civilian deaths had been attributed to the conflict since the rules of engagement were altered early in 1945. It was as if the population had come to expect a continuing devastation of their military. It was accepted as a way of life. Was that possible?

On practically every site Sam searched, the daily draft numbers were displayed next to the most recent casualty figures. _The draft?_ Sam vaguely remembered the last time military conscription had been the norm in her reality. Vietnam, the seventies, protests, near riots in the streets. If these reports were to be believed, a military draft of some sort had been in operation non-stop since 1945. Both males and females were included beginning as early as 1980. Apparently, anyone between the ages of eighteen and thirty-five was subject to military conscription regardless of status. The exemptions Sam remembered from her own history had been eliminated or never existed here. Everyone had an equal likelihood of being called up. It was literally the luck of the draw. Military service had become a social equalizer.

Even more surprising, both Allies and Axis Powers operated under a parallel system of conscription. And it wasn't limited to the larger, more industrialized nations, those originally comprising the major powers. For years, in this reality, each sovereign nation, no matter its size or resources, had been given a quota, a number of men and women they must contribute to the war effort. For some reason, there had seldom been a hold out when it came to fulfilling this ghastly obligation.

From what she could gather as she continued to search the history of the war, no side had achieved technological superiority. With equal capabilities, resources and numbers of available combatants, it was no wonder there had been no clear winner. What was amazing was that this horror had been allowed to continue for so very long.

OoOoOo

Overwhelmed and depressed by her discoveries, Sam drifted off to sleep one hour before sunrise. Her head lying on the computer table, the screensaver running and sun coming up, her phone began to ring.

"Were you planning to grace us with your presence today?"

"Who is this?" Sam asked, struggling to make sense of the call.

"It's your coworker, Capt. Carter," said the still nameless and clearly irritated voice. "Anytime now would be good. Dr. McKay is more obnoxious than ever today."

"Bill, is that you?"

"Yes, Sam, it's me," Dr. Lee answered. "Who else would it be? We are the only two assigned to this particularly boring project."

"Sounds like I'm late, sorry," Sam sad sincerely, still struggling against the lure of sleep.

"Fine," he replied. "It won't be the first time we've cut you some slack. But get a move on. I'll expect you in twenty minutes." Bill Lee was clearly ready to hang up the phone.

"Wait, Bill," Sam interrupted. "Did you say Rodney's there?"

"Yes, that would be our boss, Egomaniacal McKay," he said. "Even you can't forget him."

Sam flinched inwardly. Could it get any worse? Then, realizing she needed to know what she was supposed to be doing, "I've been out a couple days. How's it going?"

"Get down to Level 19 labs and you'll find out." With that he abruptly hung up.

_Okay, Bill, have it your way,_ Sam thought. _At least now I know where I'm going. It's a start._

OoOoOo

Sam seriously considered not going into work today. Without doubt, she'd be a fish out of water. Though disconcerting memories of a second lifetime not quite her own were beginning to surface, she had little idea what she and Dr. Lee had been working on. Still she held out a slim hope that the computer systems, even at _this_ Cheyenne Mountain, would be more advanced than what were available to her at home.

Whatever happened, she'd need access to a lab where she could conduct tests and run simulations that would tell her what went wrong and how to fix it. Of course, first she would need a theory. At the moment she had nothing, nada. Well not exactly nothing, but close to it. Something had happened to change the time line, likely in her home universe.

Last night's extensive reading portrayed Earth's history prior to 1944 or so as identical to what she had been taught as a child. Though she'd happily bow to Daniel's advanced knowledge in that area when he arrived, for now this supported a solid hypothesis as to when the seminal event occurred.

But what was it?

With that burning question planted front and center, Samantha Carter climbed into her sensible four wheel drive Subaru and started out for Cheyenne Mountain. Since coming home from her meeting with Jack, she'd been assailed with pieces of memories she partially recognized. Hers but not hers, she thought, they must belong to the other Sam Carter, the one who lost so much, her husband, her son, her sanity. Hers or not hers, they'd played just under the surface most of the night she'd spent on the computer and as she drove the all too familiar road to work, they took center stage.

Flashes…there were flashes of her and Jack … young, full of life and passion … a torrid affair shortly after their first meeting. She remembered; it was incredible, the strength of their love, their passion for each other, their commitment. They'd met at a social event, purely by chance, never been in the same chain of command. For the first two years they served on opposite ends of the country, with Jack finally moving to Colorado to be near her.

Sam blinked her eyes and drew a deep breath, struggling to clear her mind. A highway accident was not what she needed today. _Think Sam_, she told herself, _stay focused_. But it was no use; the memories were here and they would wait no longer.

She and Jack had married shortly after he'd moved to the Springs. Not long after that, Charlie was born. The small towheaded boy she suddenly remembered vividly quickly became the light of their lives.

Sam wisely pulled over to the side of the road as she felt the approaching tide of emotion. First, wonderful maternal feelings for the beautiful boy who'd become the embodiment of their love. Sam was deluged with feelings of warmth and love as she relived Charlie's most endearing antics. _What a wonderful little boy he was_, she thought.

Then the tenor of the memory changed. In her mind's eye, everything was grey. She could hear herself screaming for Jack. She'd turned her head for only a minute. But that was all it took for all their lives to come tumbling down.

She was in the pool seconds after she saw him. Charlie, her boy, was at the bottom, not moving. He'd always loved the water, was never afraid. How she wished he'd been afraid that day. Maybe he would have waited for her. Maybe he would have cried out, alerted her.

By the time she reached him, it was too late. Jack had made it downstairs just as she lifted their boy's tiny body out of the water. Jack took him from her hands and began CPR while she ran to call for help.

Their efforts were in vain. Charlie was gone before they reached the hospital. At three years of age, the boy's life ended because of her neglect. At least that was the message imprinted on this Sam Carter's heart.

_Oh, God_, Sam thought, as she sat motionless in the silent Subaru, her eyes streaming with tears. How did they survive? How did they survive at all?

Suddenly, Sam knew she wasn't making it to work today. However angry the Bill Lee and Rodney McKay of this timeline might be, she wasn't going in. This was turning out to be one heck of a sick day.

TBC

* * *

A/N: Please review. Just push the little button! 


	10. Chapter 10 Back to Work

_Suddenly, Sam knew she wasn't making it to work today. However angry the Bill Lee and Rodney McKay of this timeline might be, she wasn't going in. This was turning out to be one heck of a sick day._

* * *

Chapter 10: Back to Work

The rest of the day was spent at home, memories of her other self flooding her at will. In those rare moments she felt in charge of her own mind, she did more research. Among other things she found the whereabouts of a long lost friend. Much to her regret, the reunion would have to wait.

The next morning Sam finally made it to the mountain. Probably a good thing she'd waited. Though still unsure of much in the life of her counterpart, without her recently acquired memories, she'd be lost in McKay's lab. Her shock at the differences between the timelines would have betrayed her. Work was not the SGC, not by a long shot.

The Cheyenne Mountain complex in this timeline (that's what Sam had decided to call it from here out) was basically a slightly updated version of an oversized mid-twentieth century bunker. Between her on-line research and her rapidly returning memories of this world, Sam now knew this had been a center of operations for the western half of the country during the first two decades of the war without end. Apparently, as the killing dragged on, parts of the complex were co-opted by scientific researchers, most working in vain to develop superior weapons systems. Other areas remained devoted to tracking troop deployments. A still smaller area, one level in fact, had been given over to non-weapons related research.

That's where Sam was stationed. It was an oasis of sorts, a place where research for the sake of research was allowed to continue, if not flourish. Dreams were not highly valued in this culture, where death had become a way of life. For the most part, pure research without an immediately practical application was discouraged. And weapons were the most practical application possible, the place were the most people had the most invested.

After her own return from the front lines nearly ten years ago now, Sam had opted out of weapons research. Her father, even then a prominent and influential politician had managed to secure his daughter a coveted research appointment in a lab headed by Dr. Rodney McKay.

Even here, McKay was infamous for his oversized ego and ability to bring out the worst in people. Surprisingly Sam Carter had called him on his attitude early on and continued to work constructively with him over the last six years. It helped that Rodney had a crush on her from the very beginning.

"Sam, welcome back," Rodney greeted her warmly as she "returned" to the lab for the first time in three days.

"Thank you," Sam replied, relieved at his unexpected graciousness. "And thanks for being so patient with me yesterday."

"Frankly, I was worried you might have had a relapse," Rodney admitted. He'd been genuinely concerned during the dark days of Sam's involuntary commitment. "You didn't, did you?"

"No," Sam said, "I'm fine. I was overtired yesterday. Thanks again for understanding."

"No problem," McKay assured her. "Let me know if I can be of any help."

"Rodney, as a matter of fact I do need your help on something," Sam said, deciding to press her advantage while the iron was hot.

"Name it," Rodney said with a flourish.

"I was wondering," she began. "You were here before I arrived. Do you remember doing any work related to the Heisenburg Uncertainty Principle?"

"We've never pursued the theory here," Rodney admitted. "Too damned theoretical for our funding, I suppose. It would be interesting though, alternate timelines and parallel universes. Afraid I don't see that happening in this lifetime with the current administration."

Sam cringed, realizing her father was the head of the current administration.

"Oops, I stuck my foot in it again, didn't I?" Rodney said. Since Jacob had been elected three years ago, he'd made a conscious effort to cut back his blatant criticism of government officials.

"Not to worry," Sam assured him. "I've heard it all," she insisted, assuming the other Sam had by now.

"Hmm… hmm.."

Sam and Rodney turned to find Bill Lee standing in the doorway. He looked perturbed to say the least.

"What's eating you, Bill?" Rodney asked his lead researcher.

"Oh, not much, Rodney," Dr. Lee replied. "I've been waiting for Dr. Carter to arrive and conclude her section of our experimental survey. But don't mind me, I can wait."

"Cut her a break, Bill," Rodney said as pleasantly as he could. "We're about done here."

Bill Lee snorted derisively. Sure McKay's interest in their single female team member had proved to be no more than platonic over the years. Still, the favoritism was damned aggravating.

"I'm on my way, Bill," Sam said apologetically. It wouldn't do to have either of these men on her bad side. She might need their help to jury-rig whatever miracle would get her and the team out of here. As it was, she needed to ferret out exactly how much they knew about the theories that would be the most help to her.

"Before we get on with the day, one more thing," Sam persisted. "Have either of you heard of the latest NASA project, the one investigating the use of stable wormholes for space travel?"

Both men looked genuinely puzzled. Bill voiced the question.

"NASA?"

"Well, yes," Sam said. "You know the National Aeronautics and …," she stopped mid-sentence, catching the completely blank looks on both their faces. "Never mind, I think it was something I read in a fairly obscure journal article."

_No NASA, no Stargate_, she thought. _Okay, at least I have more information. Now to see what I can get out of these computers._

"Fine," Bill said. "You never fail to impress me with the breath of your knowledge, Dr. Carter, but we do have a specific assignment to finish. Perhaps we should get to it."

McKay shot Dr. Lee a withering look. The other man got the message and took himself back to the lab.

"Don't mind him, Sam," Rodney said. "You know he's jealous of your brain."

Sam shook her head and made to leave. Rodney called her back.

"Stable wormholes, intergalactic travel … they're interests of mine as well," Rodney said amiably. "Once we finish charting Alpha Centauri, let's see where we can go with it."

OoOoOo

The work day passed uneventfully. The remaining scientists were, for the most part, glad to see Sam. Even Dr. Lee managed to be pleasant. Sam took every opportunity she could to pursue her independent research project, namely confirming her own location in time and space with the help of the mountain's tracking stations. No doubt about it, she was on Earth and the year was 2008. Star patterns fit perfectly. Right planet, right time, wrong timeline; there was only one thing to do. And she didn't like it, not one bit.

OoOoOo

Sam couldn't wait to get home that night. The guys were probably there right now, waiting at her door. She needed to see them.

As her car pulled up to the side of curb, she could see two forlorn figures sitting on her front step. They'd probably taken a cab here from the airport. No telling how long they'd been waiting for her.

Just seeing her friends from a distance lightened her mood. Throwing open the driver's side door, she ran up the walkway, calling their names. Daniel and Cam met her half way. The three teammates collided in an enthusiastic group hug. They needed the support of that contact as much as the air they breathed..

TBC

* * *

A/N: Personal note to all shippers: Don't worry, I promise there will be SJ ship. It's just taking me longer than planned to get to the good stuff and it seems to be coming secondary to the plot. However, it will be a lot of angst for awhile. Hope you stay with me! 


	11. Chapter 11Putting Our Heads Together

_Just seeing her friends from a distance lightened her mood. Throwing open the driver's side door, she ran up the walkway, calling their names. Daniel and Cam met her half way. The three teammates collided in an enthusiastic group hug. They needed the support of that contact as much as the air they breathed. _

* * *

Chapter 11: Putting Our Heads Together

"Hey, that's great," Cam said as Sam brought in a second set of three chilled beers.

"What? No Guinness?" Daniel asked nonplussed.

"'Fraid not," Sam answered. "I never developed a taste for it, at home or in this timeline. And since Jack's not here…"

"Yeah…" Cam completed, sensing her discomfort. "I'm sure he'll be okay."

"Where is Jack? Why isn't he here?" Daniel added. Daniel had yet to talk directly to Sam and didn't know about this particular variation of the time line.

"We're not together here, Daniel," Sam said, the sadness in her voice unmistakable.

"Oh …" Daniel said, at a loss for anything more to say.

"It's okay," Sam said. "All the more reason I want to get back where we belong."

The three displaced teammates sat and looked at each other solemnly. Since reuniting earlier that evening, they'd shared their individual experiences of the past forty-eight hours. Sam's last and most important personal revelation had been the final piece of that puzzle.

"How did all this happen?" Daniel finally asked

"And why do we remember our timeline?" Cam asked. "I thought when these things were reset, no one remembered. What gives?"

"I don't know for sure," Sam began. "Best I've been able to guess, our memories might have something to do with the magnetic fields on P5X-299."

"Purgatory's fields?"

"Best guess."

"I'm back to 'how did it happen?'" Cam persisted.

After some silence, Sam shook her head. "Obviously, someone changed the timeline. Someone went back in time and stepped on a bug, built a nuclear reactor, I don't know."

"And it will take more time and research to find out is what you're saying," Daniel supplied.

"Exactly," Sam admitted. "Even if we somehow find a way to travel through time to fix this, we need to know when, where and what to fix."

"Any ideas yet?" Daniel, the one most isolated over the past two days, asked.

"I have an idea of the time, 1944 or so," Sam said. "That seems to be first place I can determine the timeline began to drift from our known history."

"So that's a start," Cam said. "You're talking about the continuation of the war."

"What war?" Daniel asked.

OoOoOo

Each remaining member of SG1 had suffered a devastating sense of isolation over the past two days. Cast adrift in bodies not quite their own and assailed by memories of their alternate selves, the isolation was all the worse. Their relief at being reunited was palpable. They weren't crazy. This had really happened to all of them.

For the past hour, Sam, with a little help from Mitchell, had brought Daniel up to date on what they knew so far of Earth's history post 1945. It was fairly sketchy, but seemed to hold the key to their current predicament.

"So, we go back in time to 1944 or so and find out what changed," Daniel said.

"Okay, how do we do that?" Cam said. "I don't see an Ancient time buggy here. Think we can get to the Stargate, Sam?"

For once, Sam wished everyone would stop looking to her for answer.

"They don't have a Stargate," she said. "I'm not even sure there is one here."

"Then what?" Cam asked impatiently, clearly itching to do something.

"We need to focus, guys. There's a lot we don't have," Sam admitted, struggling to stay positive. "What _do_ we have and what do we need?"

"We have determination," Daniel insisted.

"We have a certified genius astrophysicist," Cam added, doing his best to lighten the mood.

Sam smiled and shook her head.

"We need information," Sam said. "What we have it pretty limited."

"You have to admit, we've got some top notch sources available to us," Cam said. "All we have to do is ask".

"Guys," Daniel said. "You two may be connected here, but as Jack would say 'I've got nothing'."

"That's right, Jackson," Cam teased. "You're just a poor, lowly, unknown archeologist in this timeline. No Indiana Jones here."

"You're enjoying my situation a little too much, Cam," Daniel observed.

"Enough," Sam said. "We don't have time for that. How do we get the information we need?"

"We ask?" Cam volunteered rhetorically.

"Now there's a plan," Daniel quipped.

"If anyone knows what went wrong, what's different, maybe even where the Stargate is, it's my father," Sam admitted ruefully.

"And Jack?" Cam asked. "From the little I know of what I've been working on for him, I'll bet he knows more than he lets on."

"I agree," Sam said. "He was hiding something when I met with him the other day."

"Not to change the subject," Daniel interjected, "but where are Vala and Teal'c? If our condition is related to Purgatory, they were with us. Where are they?"

"Probably wherever they would have been if they'd never met us, right Sam?" Cam offered.

"Right," Sam replied perfunctorily. "If this timeline has no access to a Stargate, odds are we've had no off world contacts."

"So where is the Stargate?"

"We don't know. Maybe it was never discovered. Or, someone took it off world," Sam hypothesized.

"Took it?" Cam asked. "I thought you said this reality had no off world contacts."

Sam closed her eyes and bit her lip to avoid yelling at her friend. Couldn't they accept that she just didn't know?

"Bottom line, we don't know what happened to it," Sam said as calmly as she could.

With that everyone took a deep breath. Cam got up from his seat and started pacing. Daniel got up, walked over to where Sam was sitting and placed his hand on her shoulder in a gesture of support.

"Sorry, Sam," he said. "We expect you to have all the answers, don't we? You usually do, we're spoiled is all."

Sam turned to look over her shoulder and smiled at him.

"Thanks."

"You said everything seemed the same until 1944-1945," Daniel said." Any clue as to why the war continued here?"

"No," Sam said, "I was hoping as our historical expert, you could make some sense of everything."

"You know, if what we're saying about a war somewhere in the Sahara is right," Daniel began, "I should have heard something where I was. Gunfire, rockets … something."

"I suppose you're right," Sam said. "Your dig was only what, at most fifteen miles from the war zone?"

"I'd say we're back where we started," Cam said. "We need more information. Sam, you want to talk with Jack and see what you can find out?"

"I don't think that's a good idea," Sam said. "Things aren't the same here, remember? Jack thinks I'm a few steps out of a psychiatric facility …"

"And if you tell him this story …" Daniel began.

"I'm likely to go back," Sam supplied definitively.

"Point taken," Cam admitted. "I'll take Jack. For some reason, I get the feeling he likes me, even if I am dating his ex-wife."

"Don't start," Sam warned good-naturedly.

"Sam, that frees you up to have a heart to heart with Jacob," Daniel said.

Sam looked at her friend with hesitation. "I'm not sure Dad will believe me anymore than Jack would."

"It's in the timing," Cam supplied. "Jacob trusts Jack, right?"

Sam nodded.

"I'll go first, get to Jack," Cam said. "Then the two of us high tail it over to the Oval Office, right about the time your dad is ready to call the white coats. Jack insists he has confirmation of your story and we go from there."

"Crazy, but it might work," Sam said. "Daniel?"

"While you two risk involuntary commitment, I'm going to the library."

* * *

TBC

A/N: Sorry to say, but as you can see I'm not keeping up with the daily updates. Real life intervenes, alas. Promise at least one more chapter this week. Rest assured I do know where the story is heading. I just have to get it and the characters to cooperate.


	12. Chapter 12 Explaining the Unexplainable

"_Crazy, but it might work," Sam said. "Daniel?"_

"_While you two risk involuntary commitment, I'm going to the library."_

* * *

Chapter 12: Explaining the Unexplainable

Early Thursday morning, Cam boarded a corporate jet for the return trip to Washington. Since his aerospace company did a great deal of business with the military, using one Colonel Jack O'Neill as the intermediary, his request to see Jack wasn't out of the ordinary.

He would have preferred having Sam with him on the flight, commiserating and encouraging him. But her father had other ideas, insisting on a secure government transport. In the interest of placing Jacob in the best possible frame of mind, Sam had accepted his offer and was flying out separately later this morning.

After an uneventful two hour flight, Cameron Mitchell was delivered to the Pentagon. There he waited impatiently for his meeting with a man he'd only known as his military superior.

"Cam," Jack said, throwing open his door, "I didn't expect to see you this week. I thought we'd ironed out all the wrinkles on this project."

"You thought right," Cam replied vaguely, "the project's great." _Whatever project that is, _Cam thought.

"Okay, come on in and have a seat. Just don't tell me you're cancelling the contract."

"Wasn't planning on it," Cam tossed out casually, wondering what that contract said.

"This is different. I need your help."

"Anything I can do," Jack said.

"I appreciate that, Sir," Cam responded.

"Sir? Since when are you military, Mitchell?"

_Alright_, Cam thought. _The gig is up, might as well give it to him straight_.

"Since I arrived from an alternate timeline, Sir," he answered. "See in my timeline, you're a Major General."

"What!?"

OoOoOo

While Cam flew cross country in one of "his" company's more advanced transports, Sam prepared for her own high stakes trip to Washington.

As if trying to convince her father of the existence of alternate timelines wasn't challenging enough, she would be seeing "her" mother for the first time in nearly thirty years. In this reality, Kathleen Carter was alive and well, first lady of the United States of America. On the one hand, Sam was delighted at the thought of seeing her mother again; in other ways she dreaded the experience, realizing it could never be real.

OoOoOo

Colonel O'Neill had known Cameron Mitchell, the flamboyant head of a cutting edge aeronautics company, for five years now. In that time he'd come to respect the man, even appreciate his sometimes abrasive arrogance and careless impulsivity, qualities that sometimes placed projects at risk. A no-nonsense military man, Jack had learned to interpret those normally off putting qualities as the very things that made the man's company successful (and attractive to the US government).

Sam starting to date the man several months ago, well that was unfortunate. Cam could have been a good friend, but dating his ex-wife, that was too much for Jack. Though he did his best to hide his feelings, Jack loved Sam now as much as he ever did. Because he wanted to see her happy, he smiled through the hurt of seeing her with another man. After all, he _was_ with Kerry. But now … alternate timelines …

"Cam, I know I'm old, probably loosing my hearing," Jack said, almost hoping it was true, "but what did you say?"

"It's a long story, Sir," Cam replied. "First of all, in my timeline, I'm a Lieutenant Colonel in the Air Force and you're a Major General."

_Major General? At least it's a fantasy I like_, Jack thought.

"This timeline, my not being in the military," Cam continued, "that's not how it's supposed to happen."

"And you would know this how?"

"I know it sounds crazy, and I wish Sam was here to explain the concepts involved, but something happened to change the timeline. There's a war going on that shouldn't be happening. And the three of us need to get home."

"Three of you?"

"Myself, an archeologist named Daniel Jackson and … Sam Carter," Cam said, waiting for the inevitable reaction.

"What's Sam got to do with this?" Jack asked, suddenly wary and careful.

"In our world Sam and I serve together on SG1, one of several top secret military teams."

"Doing what exactly?"

_Oh hell_, Cam thought. _He is so going to have me committed._

"We explore other planets through an alien transportation device we call a Stargate," he said. "It's a big round thing, makes a huge swishing noise when you dial the right address."

Jack sat silently listening to a man he thought he knew, a man he believed was dating his ex-wife. As crazy as all of this sounded, the story caused him to remember a discussion he'd had with President Carter nearly three years ago. There was something about an important scientific discovery that had been stolen, maybe in the forties. Couldn't be connected he told himself. Could it?

Suppressing any visible reaction, Jack sat stone-faced while Cam related the details of his story. The younger man did his best to summarize the concept of alternate timelines and the possibility of time travel, concepts that did little to improve his standing in Jack O'Neill's eyes. When Jack's eyes began to glaze over, Cam knew he was in trouble, at least more trouble.

"Sir?"

"Cam, are you alright?" Jack finally asked. "If you need to see a doctor, I can arrange for you to see the best."

"Thank you, but I don't need a doctor. I need someone to help me find the Stargate."

"Is Sam alright?" Jack asked, jumping to the question most important to him at the moment.

"Sam needs to get home too."

"You know, my … Sam doesn't need anyone feeding her crazy ideas," Jack said. "She's had it hard enough."

"I know that. Sam's een remembering events from your timeline." Cam knew he was treading on dangerous territory. "The death of your son, your divorce, the damn war, tragedies, Sir," he said. "The thing is, in our world, none of those things happened. You and Sam are happily married. She's a full bird Colonel, working on the edges of the galaxy. And the world isn't at war. We've been fighting to protect that world. We think it's worth getting back."

When Mitchell and Sam had started dating, Jack entertained some unpleasant thoughts about the man, thoughts spawned by jealousy as much as anything else. But he'd never seen him as a person given to flights of fancy. What's more he believed he would never deliberately hurt Sam. Short of a totally unprecedented mental breakdown, Jack couldn't imagine what would have brought this on.

"Sir, Sam is talking with her father later today," Cam said. He caught the expected skepticism on the older man's face and knew he needed to offer him an option for constructive action. "We're thinking someone in the government knows something. At least bring this to the President."

"Cam, I need you to wait for me," Jack said decisively. "I'll make some calls and talk with you after I contact a few people. Will you do that?"

"Absolutely, Sir," Cam said, certain it was only a matter of time before he was brought to a hospital. In any case, there wasn't much else he could think of do right now. So, resigning himself to his fate, he moved toward the door.

"We're still married in your world?" Jack asked, calling after him.

"Yeah."

"If only," Jack muttered, too softly for Cam to hear.

TBC

* * *

A/N: Please review 


	13. Chapter 13 What Jacob Knows

Chapter 13: What Jacob Knows

Oddly enough, President was never one of Jacob Carter's career ambitions. Even serving in the United States Senate he had a fairly good idea of the added stress and responsibility that role would necessarily involve. Now in his second term as reluctant chief executive, the retired military officer doubted his ability to survive the remained three years of his duty.

He vaguely remembered the days when his was a position of true power. He was a very young boy when that was still the case. Now at seventy years of age, Jacob longed for those days, the time before life on Earth changed forever. He chuckled morosely to think how men like Teddy Roosevelt, Abraham Lincoln and George Washington would have reacted to being mere puppets in the hands of a more powerful force.

On his first day as President, Jacob received his top secret national security briefing. That was the day he entered a select group of people who knew the real reason behind the War Without End. It was a shameful secret, shared equally by all the nations of Earth. The secret had haunted Jacob's dreams ever since his first days in office. Struggling to find a way out of a Faustian deal from hell, Jacob had failed miserably.

And so another generation unknowingly remained in bondage.

OoOoOo

It had been nearly a year since Sam visited Jacob and her mother, Kathleen, in Washington. From the moment he was elected, Sam distanced herself from the political hubbub that accompanied the highest office in the land. Jacob could count on one hand the number of times his daughter had visited the White House. When she'd vehemently refused Secret Service protection, he'd nearly had a stroke. With Kathleen's counsel, he'd relented and not forced the issue. He'd simply made judicious adjustments. Although she never saw them, two agents were within striking distance at every hour of the day and night, watching over her safety. Jacob knew she'd be furious if she found out, but really didn't care. He wanted her safe, from others and from herself. If she were angry with him, it wouldn't be the first time.

But she was here now. She'd called only last night and said it was important. Without hesitation, he'd arranged to have her flown out first thing in the morning. Sam had arrived by mid-morning. Jacob was unable to get away before early afternoon, tied up in tedious staff meetings. That gave Sam time to visit with her mother. Now finally, he made his way to the residence, eager to learn the reason for his daughter's sudden visit.

As Jacob arrived in the residence, he gladly shrugged off the pressures of the West Wing. He removed his tie and suit jacket, picked up a cup of coffee and proceeded to the front sitting room where he expected to find his family.

Sure enough, Sam and Kathleen were right where he'd expected them to be. The front sitting room, decorated in warm summer colors and sporting a marvelous bay window, was Kathleen's favorite area of the residence. She'd single handedly redesigned it after they'd moved in and was quite happy with her efforts. It was hers in a way no other area of the austere, pretentious mansion would ever be.

What Jacob wasn't expecting was the scene that greeted him. Kathleen and Sam were seated next to each other on the sofa. Kathleen's arms were wrapped around her adult child, Sam's head on her mother's shoulder. He could hear of the sound of his daughter's weeping.

Sam's tears were not foreign to Jacob. Over the past few years, there had certainly been enough tears, depression, despair and loss. He's seen his daughter about as low as she could go. Pulling away from everyone, suicidal, psychotic, full of self hatred. After all of that, this was the first time he'd seen her cry in her mother's arms. And it scared the living daylights out of him.

"What's wrong?" Jacob asked, too fearful to couch his concern in softer words.

He was met with Kathleen's deep set blue eyes, clearly troubled, but not panicked.

"Our daughter has quite a story to tell you," she said. "And you had better listen."

OoOoOo

Sam had no idea what she was expecting. Here she was meeting her mother for the first time in thirty years. Her dead mother, the mother who'd tragically died when she'd needed her the most. Alive and well, this Kathleen Carter appeared the picture of health. At a vigorous sixty-eight years of age, the First Lady remained a tall, stately beauty with her now white hair pulled back loosely and her blue eyes as intensely captivating as ever.

Sam recognized her immediately. Thirty years or no, this was her mother. Kathleen's face had danced in her head more times than she could remember over the years. And she was here, in the flesh. At least in this alternate timeline, they'd been given another chance

When she realized there'd be time with Kathleen before Jacob arrived, Sam planned to keep her emotions low key, as if it were another day, another visit. Once she saw the love and acceptance in her mother's eyes, she forgot all about that resolution. With very little preamble, she'd told the older woman everything. With a naiveté born of years without a mother, Sam's revelation poured out, uncensored and unabridged. In the wink of an eye, she felt young and vulnerable, glad to have her mother's arms to comfort and console.

OoOoOo

Jacob sat quietly, his mind racing while his body remained preternaturally calm.

He was in awe of the woman before him. Confident, unafraid, certain of facts that would intimidate anyone else, she presented a cogent argument for a farfetched proposition.

Little did Sam know her argument was supported by facts she couldn't begin to imagine. Yet without those fact to fall back on, she forged ahead, hoping against hope her "parents" would believe her. The hidden history of this world, a world not her own, supplied all Jacob needed to entertain the truth of "his daughter's" words.

"You're telling me you're not really my daughter," was all he could say when she finished.

"Not the daughter you know," Sam answered. "Your daughter and I have had very different experiences these past few years."

"Thinking about it gives me a headache," Jacob said. "It's hard to believe there could actually be an alternate timeline, another me, another you."

For the first time, Sam began to consider the possibility her father would take her seriously.

"I know it's a lot to take in at once," Sam admitted.

"It is," Jacob admitted.

"You believe me, don't you?" Sam asked in astonishment.

"I do," he said simply.

His response exceeded her wildest, optimistic hopes. Maybe her father was toying with her, trying to humor the sick child he'd come to know.

"Will you help us, Dad?" Sam asked after a long pause, waiting for the moment of truth she feared was coming.

It never came.

OoOoOo

Less than thirty minutes later, the Secret Service announced the unscripted arrival of Colonel O'Neill and a certain independent government contractor. Without skipping a beat, President Carter opened the door.

"Jack, Mr. Mitchell," he greeted them as if they were expected. "Come in. Your timing is impeccable."

"Thank you, Sir."

"Take a seat. I have quite a story to tell all of you."

As they took their places, Jack and Cam both greeted Sam and her mother. Cam, introduced to Kathleen Carter for the first time, looked like a dear in the headlights. Undoubtedly, he was a bit overwhelmed by the ongoing changes in the timeline. Moreover, he was still uncertain whether or not Jack O'Neill believed his story or was bringing him here for censure. Worse yet, maybe they were arranging a single pick up for the ambulance.

He needn't have worried. After politely offering drinks all around, Jacob proceeded to reassure both his daughter and Cam. Though overwhelmed by the magnitude of their story, he believed it on its face. There was too much history supporting it to leave any doubt. And something was definitely different about his daughter.

"You mean I'm not getting fitted for a straight-jacket?" Cam asked skeptically.

"No, son," Jacob answered. "I believe both of you are perfectly sane. I may not be, but you two are all right," he added with a grin, wondering why he was so damned sure.

"I'll tell you a story," the president began. "You might not believe this one either. I know I didn't when they told me the day after my inauguration. Funny thing, all of a sudden when you become president, the powers that be decide you're one of them. All of a sudden you can be trusted with secrets others are clamoring to know."

Jacob stopped for moment, reached out and took Sam's hand. "Sam, the NID told me about the Stargate four years ago. So when you told me your story, strange as it sounds, I knew it was possible."

"And I know the broad outlines of the Stargate dossier; that's why I didn't immediately send Cam here to the funny farm," Jack added.

"You mean this timeline does have a Stargate?" Sam asked incredulously.

"Not exactly," Jacob replied. "Apparently we did. It was discovered in Giza back in the 1920s then kept under lock and key in a government bunker for quite some time. Seems folks knew it was important, but didn't have a clue what it was. Then in the forties, during the early years of the original war, it was rediscovered as it were. There were many in the military who hoped it was a weapon, one that would dwarf the nascent atomic bomb in its scope and power. Needless to say, with that build-up, no expense was spared on attempting to unlock its secrets. During my first national security briefing I read a file describing the first time they succeeded in turning it on. It was incredible."

"None of that was made public at the time, was it?" Kathleen asked.

"No, none of it," Jacob answered. "It was top secret then too, but for totally different reasons."

Jacob had their attention. No one moved a muscle, intent on every word he uttered.

"Research proceeded at a feverish pace. Everyone knew by mid 1945 the war was reaching a cross roads. Development of the atomic bomb was days away from completion and initial testing was promising. Troops were massing for final assaults in Europe. The Allies were secretly beginning to plan for reconstruction, so certain they were of a total victory."

"So the war _was_ coming to an end," Sam said, "just as it was in our world."

"Yes," Jacob answered simply. "But everything changed. You have to understand the thinking back then. All of our resources were focused on winning this war. The effort was a source of national pride, for pretty much everyone. When he came, we had no defense."

"Who came, Sir?" Jack asked, realizing he didn't know half the story.

"He called himself Ba'al," Jacob said. "The records I was shown describe him as a humanoid creature whose eyes glowed. He spoke with an unnaturally sonorous tone and he had great power."

"Sam, are you okay?" Jack asked. His eyes were locked on the woman sitting across from him. All of a sudden she'd gone pale and her eyes had glazed over.

Sam breathed deeply, exhaling forcefully. "I'm fine. We know him, Ba'al that is."

"Really?" Jacob asked. "He exists in your reality? How is it then you still have a Stargate?"

"It's a long story," Sam said. "We'll fill in the blanks," she said nodding toward Cam, "but right now we need to hear _your_ story. What did he do in _this _world?"

Jack and Jacob nodded to each other.

"I'm told we didn't take him seriously at first,'' Jacob began. "Roosevelt had no idea he'd visited Hitler, Hirohito, and Churchill as well. Equal opportunity monster I'd say. He demanded to be shown the Stargate. How he even knew it existed was beyond us. When security attempted to detain him, he vanished. Vanished into thin air they said. Almost immediately, unexplainable things occurred in areas nowhere near the front lines. An American battle cruiser was blasted out of the water. A submerged German U-Boat was vaporized. A squadron of fighters was destroyed on a Midwest airfield. All from the sky, with a single blast, looked like a laser. As if that wasn't enought, the entire contents of the Manhattan Project labs simply disappeared."

"He was back in Washington less than an hour later, a hologram of the creature anyway. Needless to say, Roosevelt was more willing to negotiate. The Joint Chiefs told him there was no realistic defense against something they couldn't begin to understand. Sure, at first they'd blamed it on the German, Japanese maybe, but fairly soon it was clear they too were receiving demands."

"So you gave him the Stargate?"

"Yes, we did," Jacob answered. "We barely knew what it was ourselves at that point. It certainly wasn't worth risking the security of the planet. In the simplicity of the time, we actually hoped that would be the end of it. But it wasn't, not by a long shot."

"What happened?" Cam asked.

"Roosevelt was told to call a summit. It was unheard of, in the middle of a war, meeting with leaders of all warring parties. But we weren't the only ones impressed by the creature's power. Hell, the Air Force, such as it was at the time, did their level best to blast his ships out of the sky, but it wasn't even close. Nothing we had could reach that far, let alone touch the ships in orbit. It didn't take much convincing to bring everyone together."

"I remember hearing about that meeting," Jack said. "That's when the war changed. We moved out of the European theater."

"Yes," Jacob continued. "It seems the Stargate wasn't all this Ba'al character wanted. He and others like him wanted an army to 'defeat the forces of the future' he said. Needless to say, the leaders of the time had no idea what he was talking about. But it didn't matter. Their choices were limited. I'm not aware of every detail of those negotiations, but the War Without End was a result."

"I'm sorry. I don't understand," Sam said.

"He offered to let us keep our world," Jacob continued. "The price was unimaginable. Slaves, 'hosts' he called them and common soldiers, and others who would be 'incubators' for their young. He explained that his kind had conquered many worlds before ours and that resistance would be punished with annihilation."

"I can't believe Earth, any Earth, accepted this without a fight," Cam said.

"Leaders knew their people wouldn't accept it. There would have been mass panic. Many more would have died. They decided the people would never know what was happening."

"The war … the casualties …" Sam said, her mind exploding with the enormity of the cover up. It was all an elaborate façade, a stage to supply the fodder for Ba'al's army, a way to pacify a creature intent on conquest and power.

That was how everything changed.

TBC

* * *

A/N: Thank you for continuing to read. Anxious to know what you think. Reviews much appreciated.

Planning to have the story finished round about Chapter 19 or 20, no longer.

Disclaimer: Please remember as you read this that since no one really knows whether there are such things as alternate timelines, AU, AR, whatever, in my mind the possibilities are wide open. I'm limiting myself only by the general guidelines I've seen on SG. Could be, right?


	14. Chapter 14 Making Plans

"_The war … the casualties …" Sam said, her mind exploding with the enormity of the cover up. It was all an elaborate façade, a stage to supply the fodder for Ba'al's army, a way to pacify a creature intent on conquest and power. _

_That was how it all was changed. _

* * *

Chapter 14: Making Plans 

Sam stayed at the White House overnight. Spending time with her parents was something she'd never expected to do again. Now all three of them knew the truth, the time was even more valuable.

Jacob and Kathleen were saddened to learn this Sam had been motherless since the age of thirteen. Jacob struggled to imagine bringing up his children without Kathleen. Still, somehow his little girl had survived, and from what he could tell, prospered. He and his wife were amazed at the positive changes in their daughter. It wasn't that they didn't love and value the Sam of this reality. It was that they loved her so much. That love rejoiced in the obvious fulfillment their daughter had found, even if it wasn't here, with them. A full bird Colonel, fascinating, challenging work she loved, and a happy marriage, this Sam seemed to have it all. They'd wanted this and more for their daughter.

For his part, Jacob experienced the first threads of hope in a very long time. These strangers from another Earth were presenting him with the answer he'd been looking for since the early days of his presidency. It wasn't about defeating Ba'al and his minions here, with outclassed weapons, worn down military and a deeply depressed populace. It was about restoring the original timeline, where the tragedy of a War Without End had never happened in the first place. And as the goal changed, so did the possibilities for success.

It wasn't lost on Jacob that restoring the so called original timeline would mean the end of life as he knew it. In his simplest reckoning, it meant Kathleen would cease to exist as well. More importantly, as the leader of the supposedly "free world", he wouldn't be the only one to sustain personal losses were the timeline restored. Virtually everyone on the face of the planet would be affected in some way. There would be those who would never have been born. Others would die earlier, die different or die later. Some would be happy and others would have harder lives. But over and above it all, if these travelers succeeded, Earth would be free for the first time in over six decades. That would be worth it, so very worth it.

There would be those who would insist on putting it to a vote, giving the American people, better yet the people of the world, a choice about changing the way things were. Normally, President Carter was as democratic minded as anyone else, but not on this. The vast majority of the citizens of Earth had no idea what was going on behind the scenes of the War. Ba'al's name was generally unknown. And the populace believed that the well onto one hundred thousand who died yearly in the desert theatre, died as heroes on a battlefield. They couldn't know that fully half that number were abducted and altered for use in Ba'al's army of destruction.

Without that knowledge, no intelligent decision could be reached. Personal survival as opposed to planetary servitude; after decades of secrecy, it would be impossible to convince people those were really the stakes. And so it fell to Jacob and the other leaders of the world to make the decision for their people. After all these years of death, destruction and loss, Jacob had little doubt his fellow leaders would agree with his decision.

OoOoOo

By the time of the evening meal, another White House visitor had arrived. After the early afternoon meeting with her father, Sam had contacted Daniel, telling him to be ready for passage on a chartered jet, designated to deliver him to Washington. And so it did. Like the Daniel Jackson of the original timeline, he arrived with a flourish, by helicopter on the White House lawn. Jack and Sam were there to meet him.

"Hi," Daniel greeted both of them. "Missed me?"

"Who are you?" Jack asked, singularly unimpressed with the younger man.

"Dr. Daniel Jackson, this is _Colonel _Jack O'Neill" Sam supplied. "Daniel, _Colonel _O'Neill is in charge of national security for my father."

Daniel nodded, silent as he took in the implications of Jack's change of rank. More telling was the change in relationship he felt between his two dear friends. It saddened his heart.

"Good to meet you, Colonel," Daniel said extending his hand.

OoOoOo

Later that night, most everyone in the residence had turned in for the night. Sam couldn't sleep, sequestering herself in her father's study with a state of the art laptop. Tomorrow they would be making plans. As usual, everyone, including her father would be looking to her expertise to make things happen. Unfortunately, she wasn't certain she would come through this time. Time travel wasn't her strong suit. In fact she hated the very concept. Even if they could manage to unearth the Antarctic Gate, how in the world was she supposed to _predict_ a solar flare? In itself that challenge promised months of work in the best of facilities, facilities she doubted existed on this earth.

"Hey," a familiar voice interrupted her. Colonel O'Neill stood in the doorway, hands in his pockets, looking confused and less than comfortable.

"Colonel, come in," Sam said, uncertain how to greet the man who wasn't actually her husband.

"Colonel? I know we're divorced Sam, but since when is it Colonel?" he asked, a tinge of hurt evident in his voice.

Sam bit her lip and sighed, gently closing the laptop as she did so.

"Since you and I both know it's different here," she answered. "We may look like the same people, but we're not. We barely know each other."

Jack wordlessly asked Sam's permission to take a seat across from her. When she nodded, he sat heavily, his large frame clearly uncomfortable in more ways than one. "See, that's what has me confused," he began, sounding exactly like the man she loved, stymied by one or another of her scientific rants. "You are Sam, but you're not?"

"Something like that," Sam answered. "For a reason I don't fully understand I have most of her memories as well as my own. Only they never happened to me."

"So, you and me, we were never …" Jack asked, gesturing broadly between them.

"No, never married."

"And Charlie?" Jack asked sadly.

Sam could see this Jack struggling for control of his emotions. Her Jack or not, Sam's heart went out to him.

"I never knew Charlie, Jack," Sam said. "In my world you did have a son named Charlie but he died before you and I got together."

Jack nodded as if he understood. Of course, he didn't, but he'd never admit it.

"And you, you never… got sick … went to the hospital?"

"No, not like that," Sam said. "I never lost a child," she added, hiding a truth she had no reason to share with this man.

Jack nodded. He was glad she hadn't felt that pain. He continued to look at her as if he'd never seen her before.

"If Charlie hadn't died, my Sam and I would still be together," he whispered, barely loud enough for her to hear.

Now it was Sam's turn to nod sadly. "It must have been terrible," she said.

"She blamed herself," Jack said, as if he could finally purge the feelings he'd held in for so long. "I wanted to help. I loved her so much. She pulled away from me, from everyone. We were in love, I thought I could reach her. But I couldn't help. She tried to kill herself, she wanted to die. My being around just made her worse."

Sam had no idea what to say. She couldn't imagine pulling away from her Jack, not anymore, no matter what happened.

"So you divorced?"

"Her idea really," Jack said. "I was hurt, hell, more than hurt, but I didn't want to make her any worse. So I gave her what she wanted. I knew Jacob would take care of her."

Sam sat quietly, looking at this man who'd lost a great deal in this reality as well.

"Look, Sam," Jack said. "Jacob's talking about helping you set this thing right, restore what you say is the original timeline."

"Yes, he told me," Sam said. "He says he'll need to confer with other world leaders, but believes they'll agree with him."

"What will you do?"

"Find the second Gate," Sam said. "That's the easy part. Then I need to rig it to send us _when_ we need to be."

"And then?"

"We keep Ba'al from changing what was supposed to happen."

"And what happens to my timeline?" Jack asked.

Sam looked at him for a minute, grasping the enormity of his question.

"If we succeed, this timeline will cease to exist."

Jack closed his eyes, exhaling sharply. It was beyond his imagination. As much as he wanted a reality where he and Sam had never turned away from each other, right now the consequences of that choice were too much.

"My kids, the twins, my children with Kerry … they won't exist, will they?"

Sam could feel her own tears gathering. This man had lost so much already. Now the possibility of restoring the timeline threatened to rob him one more time.

"Most likely, no, they won't," she said, as gently as she could. Nothing was going to make this easier.

"You know I can't help you," he said.

"I understand."

TBC

* * *

A/N: Thanks for reading. Appreciate all the reviews for last chapter. Its a thrill to hear from you. Next chapter, more planning. As you can tell they aren't home free yet. 


	15. Chapter 15 Letting Go

"_You know I can't help you," Jack said. _

"_I understand."_

* * *

Chapter 15: Letting Go

Sam slept very little that night. As reassuring as it was to have Daniel and Cam in the same residence, and even Jack in a way, she was deeply disturbed. Her conversation with the man who looked like her husband had torn at her emotions in more ways than one.

It went without saying Sam wanted to restore her timeline. She took that as a given; it was only right. Still, hearing "Jack's" obvious angst as he realized his small children would no longer exist gave her serious pause. Of course, she knew the lives of many people in this timeline, her own parents among them, would be irrevocably altered. But thinking about _children _who would never be, Jack's children, seemed worse somehow.

Since she'd met Colonel O'Neill, Sam had worked overtime reminding herself he was not _her_ Jack. She had to remember this was not the man who'd promised to be with her always, the man she loved beyond her wildest expectations. He might share many of her Jack's characteristics, mannerisms, even values, but his experiences were different. And he was married to Kerry. In this timeline, the Carter-O'Neill romance had burnt itself out.

Colonel O'Neill wasn't the man she'd worked beside for ten years, fighting for their lives and the lives of everyone on the planet. Not the man she'd feared for when he was lost or worked non-stop to bring home on more than one occasion. And he wasn't the man she'd married. As hard as it was, she was glad she'd made that clear to him last night. Much as she'd want _her_ Jack here to help her, he wasn't. Sam being Sam, she didn't want _Colonel _O'Neill to help out of a sense of misplaced loyalty. He needed to be clear on who _she_ was too.

But there was only so much he needed to know. Surely he didn't need to know the heartache his counterpart had suffered in the original timeline. He'd suffered enough of his own agony in this world. And he wasn't the one she needed to tell the precious news she'd so eagerly held onto during the Purgatory mission. The man who needed to hear it … was far away, somewhere.

She'd been so anxious to return from that mission. Just before leaving, she'd been given the news. After months of trying to conceive, she was pregnant. She'd been ecstatic. That seemed like so long ago.

Now, less than a week after that final day on Purgatory, she realized this Sam wasn't pregnant. Trying to wrap her mind around this was difficult to say the least. Sam found herself mourning. Though her mind told her once the timeline was restored, her pregnancy would be as well, for now, she _was _this Sam and she was no longer pregnant.

Finally she appreciated fully her husband's distaste for alternate timelines, universes, and realities. Her head was spinning.

OoOoOo

Cam, Daniel and Sam met for breakfast early the next morning. Jacob joined them briefly, taking the time to inform them that he'd been in contact with world leaders and received uniform agreement that restoration of the timeline was their desired course of action. Though it should have been good news for all of them, Sam appeared less than enthusiastic.

"Sam?" Daniel called, realizing she was miles away from them.

"Oh … sorry, Daniel," she said. "My mind was … not here. How are we going to do this?"

Cam and Daniel looked at each other and shrugged.

"We were assuming you would tell us," Cam said.

"Dig up the Antarctic Gate, right?" Daniel suggested helpfully. "That _is_ what you told Jacob."

"We could do that," Sam said without much enthusiasm. It didn't take long for her to notice the looks of disbelief on her friends' faces. "I'm sorry, even if we manage to unearth the gate, even if it's exactly where it is in our timeline, I have no idea how to predict a flare. It's going to take time."

"But you can do it, Sam," Daniel said.

"I hope so," she replied half-heartedly.

OoOoOo

In his role as security officer for the president, Colonel O'Neill would be directly involved in formulating plans for retrieving the Gate. Though he had no idea how doing so would contribute to restoration of the timeline, he knew his Sam well enough to know this Samantha Carter O'Neill would give it her best shot. Although _Captain_ Carter had never been promoted to Colonel in his timeline, or saved the world, he had no doubt she had the ability to do so. She was brilliant.

Even before President Carter obtained approval from the world leaders, Jack sat down with him for an open, no-holds-barred discussion of his personal feelings about the situation. Theirs was a strange, sometimes forced relationship. His ex-father-in-law had always been one of Jack O'Neill's biggest fans. Together, they'd done their best to insure Sam's safety during her pitched battle with the demon of depression. When Sam had filed for divorce, Jack sought out Jacob for a listening ear, while Sam poured out her heart to Kathleen. Jacob knew Jack had done his best by their daughter. After the divorce, many people were surprised when Jack turned up as an important part of White House staff. For Jacob and Kathleen however, he'd been an obvious choice. They trusted him.

Jack knew he was well respected. He'd had a fairly quiet, non-descript career once he'd retired from the black ops assignments of his youth. After marrying Sam Carter, he'd decided to spend as much time as possible at home starting a family. Initially he'd been surprised at how much that meant to him. But watching Sam and Charlie, he'd known his family was more important than anything else.

Charlie's death, Sam's illness and the divorce had devastated him. His grief over his son's loss had been compounded by what he perceived to be Sam's rejection. He'd poured himself into his work, now largely administrative. In the process, on the rebound if ever there was one, he'd met Kerry, an administrative assistant at the Pentagon.

She was lovely; free, happy, full of life, she liked him. She liked him very much. Without even trying, he responded to Kerry in a way he didn't think possible. He needed the attention and care she seemed to offer. At first, their relationship was anything but romantic. A shoulder to cry on, companionship, someone who made him feel alive again, Kerry filled a gaping hole in Jack's life. In spite of himself, Jack developed feelings for her. And as one thing led to another, much to his surprise, Kerry announced she was pregnant.

Though he didn't love her the way he loved Sam, Jack didn't hesitate to do the right thing. He was relieved and grateful that Kerry was willing to see the pregnancy through. He couldn't imagine her aborting his child. Then they found out she was having twins.

They were married. In a small out of the way ceremony, Jack O'Neill and Kerry Johnson said their vows. Both intended to keep those vows, for their children if for no other reason.

OoOoOo

When President Carter informed Sam and her team they were cleared to find the Antarctic Gate, Sam's first reaction was one of surprise. Surprise that it had been that easy, surprise that it hadn't taken months of bureaucratic wrangling to come to a decision. He'd explained that one of the few positive effects of this horrendous war was the ability to work together, both as a nation and as leaders of supposedly warring factions.

After the surprise abated, the team sat down with Jacob, his top advisors, including Colonel O'Neill (Jacob had agreed to excuse Jack from the mission itself, but insisted on his counsel in the planning stages) and a team of scientists recruited to assist Sam in the daunting task of predicting a solar flare. Drs. McKay, Lee and two physicists from the Pentagon were assigned to work under Sam's direction. Without knowledge of the reason for the project, McKay and the others would have only their natural scientific curiosity to motivate them.

And so it began. It was the adventure of a lifetime for many involved, the expedition to find the Antarctic Gate. As she packed to accompany Cam, Daniel and the other handpicked team to the South Pole, Sam realized the necessity of taking one step at a time. Finding and unearthing the gate from beneath more than a mile of snow was one thing. Getting that Gate up and running was another project altogether. She remembered miserably the long weeks and months it had taken to construct an adequate dialing program in her timeline.

It would take a miracle for Ba'al to miss what would be going on. It would take months. They could only hope the Gou'ald was occupied elsewhere and overly confident in his hold on these beleaguered earthlings. Were he to get wind of what they were doing, she had no doubt their punishment would be severe.

_So, no pressure,_ she thought. _All I have to do is live in this upside down world for what, maybe a year and do the impossible while I'm at it. Not a problem._

Since the team had the advantage of SG1's knowledge, they went directly to the exact coordinates of the buried Ancient artifact. Still it took a full week to excavate a large enough opening for the Gate to be extracted. And as luck with have it, the DHD was damaged beyond repair. _Sure enough, dialing program here I come_, Sam thought as she glumly watched the useless device rise through ice.

Then as she rebuffed Daniel's attempts to reassure her, Sam heard excited shouts from the immediate excavation site. Apparently, they'd found something else, another artifact. This one had been buried directly beneath the DHD and on first look appeared undamaged.

The second artifact would change everything.

TBC

* * *

A/N: Again many thanks for reading and reviewing. Your attention makes writing so much fun. Hope you enjoyed the chapter and are waiting for the next installment. 


	16. Chapter 16 Easier Said Than Done

Chapter 16: Easier Said Than Done

Deep inside a long abandoned missile silo, somewhere in the Nevada desert, the select scientific team working with Samantha Carter was in nirvana. Before them were two of the most fascinating recovered artifacts of ancient civilization. One, a large perfectly circular piece made of an unknown metal, was ringed with thirty six different glyphs on its outer edge. The second had to be a spaceship of some sort and an incredibly advanced one at that.

Rodney McKay was in his element. His imagination and ego were running wild. The only negative aspect of the whole thing was his nagging suspicion that Samantha Carter and the President knew exactly what these artifacts were. He couldn't stand people holding out on him. To be honest, he couldn't stand anyone knowing more than he knew.

McKay knew _something_ was up when these particular gems were moved to this isolated, seldom used facility. Normally, anything of more than passing interest, especially items likely associated with extraterrestrials, was brought to Area 51. But not these pieces; they stayed out of sight of the full time research staff McKay had supervised until recently.

Area 51 was an extraordinary place in McKay's estimation. Though much of the research there was directed towards developing weapons for the war, the opportunities for scientific advancement and personal reward were great. As far as he and others knew, researchers who played key roles in significant advancements were promoted beyond their wildest expectations.

In reality, those much envied researchers unwittingly earned their places as hosts to creatures they couldn't begin to imagine. After all, this was Ba'al's world now and there was no way he'd let humans develop technology that might challenge his hold on the planet. Though the front line researchers were unaware of the fact, the ruthless Goa'uld remained acutely aware of everything that transpired at Area 51, courtesy of his well placed spies.

The fact that Area 51 was generally under the supervision of Ba'al's followers made President Carter's choice of research location for the new artifacts painfully obvious. Although the remote, pre-1940s facility was poorly equipped and had been abandoned for years, he knew its isolation would buy them time. Sam had told him she'd need considerable time to develop the programs necessary to complete the planned mission. It wouldn't due to have Ba'al discover their efforts prematurely.

As it was, Ba'al showed himself once or twice a year at most, often to collect on his quota of slaves from the war zone. Still, transport of the Stargate and the "spaceship" was carried out under cover of darkness and with the utmost secrecy.

OoOoOo

They'd been in the frigid climate of the Antarctic for more than seventy-two hours. After that, Sam and her team were happy to enjoy the warmth of the desert. Actually, in their elaborate underground bunker, the ambient temperature was beside the point.

When she'd seen the second artifact unearthed from the ice, Sam's heart skipped a beat.

She knew immediately what it was. An Ancient "puddle jumper", to use the name her Atlantis colleagues had invented, and possibly something more. Unable to get a look inside as the hull was completely frozen over, Sam restrained her enthusiasm until it could be moved to the research area and "defrosted".

_If only_ … she thought. _It would make things so much easier, at least a little easier, were this particular ship equipped with a flux capacitator. That ingenious Ancient device that allowed travel through the fabric of time, well, that would be almost too much to expect from the hand of fickle fate. But maybe … _

She shared her hopes with Cam and Daniel, waiting before giving her father any more unbelievable, overwhelming information. Daniel, of course, clearly recalled the time machine they'd found on Harry Maybourne's planet, the one their friend Jack O'Neill had so ably piloted. He also recalled how Sam had been solidly against any interference with the time line back then. Cam reminded him that the current situation was different, with more than enough consequences to moderate Sam's opinion on the issue of time travel.

So it was with cautious optimism that the three members of SG1 accompanied the newly found artifacts to the bunker code named Area 52.

"Colonel Carter," Rodney McKay called, "we're ready to open what you call the puddle jumper. I thought you'd want to be there when we did."

"You thought right," Sam said with barely restrained glee. "Thank you, Dr. McKay, I'll be right there."

Moments later, with SG1 and the five researchers in attendance, the capsule was opened. Sam was the first one to enter the Ancient ship. Cam and Daniel were right behind her, having insinuated themselves in front of Rodney McKay. As the two entered, they were met by Sam's smiling visage, intent on the small cylindrical device in front of her.

"That's it, right?" Cam asked. "The flux whatever?"

"Yep," Sam said simply. "It certainly is. Now all we have to do it make it work."

OoOoOo

Rodney McKay had had about enough. Watching the unlikely trio exclaiming over the good fortune of finding what they were calling a puddle jumper in the middle of a sea of ice struck him as odd to say the least. They clearly knew what this was, and probably the metal ring as well, and weren't for sharing the secret. Sitting back and taking orders was not his strong suit. And he let Samantha Carter know it.

"Sam," he said, in as pleasant a voice as he could muster, "I think I've been fairly reasonable with you over the years."

"Yes, Rodney, you have," Sam replied, distracted by her puttering with the puddle jumper's engine core.

"Well, don't you think I deserve an explanation?" McKay asked. "I've been your supervisor for five years and suddenly your father, who just happens to be the President of the United States, tells me _I'm_ reporting to _you_."

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that," Sam said, still more intent on what she was doing than her conversation with McKay.

"Well, what's going on?"

Sam looked up from the mass of circuitry set out before her. Her eyes fixed on McKay's mildly agitated face. He wasn't going to like this, but it's the way it had to be.

"In this particular case, I do know more about what's going on than you or anyone else. It's all classified, top secret. Believe me, its better you don't know. Besides, I'm hoping it will all be over soon," she said, purposely being as vague as possible. Though she needed his expertise, Sam didn't need the man's whining and hand wringing. Telling him about the alternate timeline would certainly give him a heck of a lot to whine and wring his hands about.

Though he looked put out, this Rodney never could refuse Sam much of anything.

"Fine, I'll figure it out for myself," he huffed. "But at least tell me what your boyfriend and that geeky guy are doing here."

Sam smiled. They went back to work.

OoOoOo

Cam paid frequent visits to the work site throughout the first two heady days, doing his best to encourage Sam's flagging spirits. With the help of her scientific team, she'd made great progress towards repairing the drive engines of the puddle jumper. In spite of this, Sam realized they were lacking one very important factor if they were to determine whether the vehicle was actually on-line and ready to go. More importantly, this was something they'd need for the plan to work at all.

No matter what Cam said, Sam held out little hope that Jack O'Neill would agree to pilot the jumper. As far as she knew, he was the only person readily available with both the piloting skills and the Ancient gene that was required to interface with the craft's controls. Both Cam and Daniel had seemed certain Colonel O'Neill would agree to help once he realized he was the only one who could. Sam, however, wasn't as certain. Moreover, she dreaded forcing his hand.

"Even if he were willing, he has a lot to lose by helping us," Sam said. "He has a new family here."

"You mean Kerry and the kids," Cam said remembering Sam's sadly rendered tale of the personal differences in this timeline.

"Yeah," she said softly, "two beautiful little boys who will no longer exist if we succeed."

"Wow…" Daniel said, genuinely boggled by the idea. "I can't imagine being in his position. In any other circumstance you know he'd be right here to help."

"I know, but this is different," Sam said.

"We have to get him to sign on with this," Cam said.

"What he means is, _you_ have to get Jack to help us," Daniel clarified.

"I know," Sam said sadly, "I know."

TBC

* * *

A/N: Thanks again for reading and for your generous reviews. Next couple of chapters will be up this weekend. 


	17. Chapter 17 A Little Help from Our Friend

"_What he means is, you have to get Jack to help us," Daniel clarified._

"_I know," Sam said sadly, "I know."_

* * *

Chap. 17: A Little Help from Our Friends

With considerable persuasion from Jacob Carter, Jack O'Neill agreed to meet with Sam. He'd _discuss_ the project; he owed both Sam and Jacob that much. He had no intention of going any further.

While the scientific team traveled to Antarctica to retrieve the Ancient artifacts, Jack had returned to his home in Colorado Springs to be with Kerry and the boys. If Sam were involved in a plan to change the timeline, he was convinced it would happen, sooner or later. He wanted as much time with his family as possible before the fateful changes took place.

With that resolution in mind, Jack insisted the meeting take place in the Springs. Though he'd have preferred the non-committal outdoor café where they'd met when this whole thing started, he settled for Cheyenne Mountain. Top secret discussions weren't made for public places and Jack was someone who appreciated that fact.

In a small conference room, hidden from prying eyes, the two military officers sat down with each other, one hoping to gain the assistance of the other. Over a cup of coffee, Sam did her best to explain the incredible background information Colonel O'Neill needed to know. Without missing a beat, she discussed the existence of a race known as the Ancients and summarized some of their most notable technological advancements. Having done her best to avoid the endless technobabble she reserved for her Jack, Sam went on to explain that Jack O'Neill was the only one she knew for certain carried the Ancient gene, a prerequisite for operation of most Ancient technology, including the Puddle Jumper. She was asking this man to swallow and digest a great deal of foreign information. But she knew he could do it.

Jack's furrowed brow said all Sam needed to know. He was overwhelmed, intellectually and emotionally. As she knew he would, the man got out of his chair, stretched his six- foot- two-inch frame and started to walk around the room, stopping briefly to say what was on his mind.

"And how do you know this ship travels through time?" He asked skeptically.

"We've used it before," Sam said simply. "The concept itself is relatively straightforward, once we have the right pilot. Even then, there'll be some adjustments needed for the particularly short jump we have to make."

Jack continued to pace, picking up first a pencil, then a stray piece of paper to play with as he did so.

"Let's assume everything you say is true," he said, realizing in his heart he'd already made that assumption. "Why would I want to do this?"

"Because you know it's the right thing to do," Sam answered, feeling a tug at her heartstrings as she voiced the words. The decision was so much easier for her than for this Jack.

"Loosing my children is the right thing to do?" He asked testily.

Sam looked at him, struck again by how much he resembled her Jack. But the resemblance wasn't exact. This man looked younger. As much pain as he'd had, he hadn't survived the same physical stressors her husband had. What's more the extraordinary extraterrestrial events opened to them by their years at the SGC were foreign to this man. _He is different_, she reminded herself. _His experiences have made him different. It's possible he won't react as Jack would._ Still she chose to believe _Colonel _O'Neill would be enough like her husband to have the same basic values and perceptions of good and evil. What's more she knew he had a mind capable of comprehending all she was telling him.

"If we retained our memories, you can bet Ba'al figured out a way to do it too. You have to understand, Colonel," Sam said, "He hates you, or rather my husband. It's beyond his natural all encompassing evil, it's personal."

"So?"

"You've never had the pleasure, have you?"

"Pleasure?"

"Of meeting Ba'al, face to face," she replied matter-of-factly.

"No, I haven't. Until the other day I'd never even heard his name."

"My Jack knows Ba'al all too well," Sam said sadly. "Ba'al tortured him repeatedly a few years back. He tortured him to death over and over. Each time he revived him to do it again."

"And this man is still sane, able to function?"

"He is," Sam said proudly. "General Jack O'Neill is an incredible man."

"Great," O'Neill said. "What's that got to do with me and my family?" Whether from envy or irritation, his tone was becoming agitated and a bit hostile.

"I'm not sure. Maybe everything, maybe nothing," Sam replied vaguely. "I can't imagine he won't enjoy torturing this reality's Jack O'Neill as well. After all, my husband was a big part of the reason he had to go through all this trouble in the first place. I can't imagine he won't want to extract a bit more personal vengeance on you and your family. And those boys would be the perfect way to do it."

She had his undivided attention now. Though he'd never been through a Stargate, visited an alien planet or met this creature called Ba'al, Colonel O'Neill had experienced his share of less than ethical men and women during his time in Black Ops, not to mention his service in the Carter administration. There were people on this earth who'd stop short of nothing to gain revenge, those who had no respect for human life or even the lives of children. Everything Sam was telling him about this evil alien sounded infinitely more chilling. Still …

"Sam, if he's so malevolent, so vengeful," Jack asked, "why hasn't he done anything to me yet?"

Sam looked at the man with compassion. She was asking him to process information and experiences that weren't his, understandings that had taken her years of literal blood, sweat and tears to comprehend.

"I can't answer that for you," she admitted. "I do know he's done more than enough to damage your world already."

He was silent. She realized he had little to compare with the present reality.

"Earth wasn't meant to be at war endlessly," Sam said. "My world's far from perfect, but there's a freedom your world will never have. For all you know, your boys will be selected as Ba'al's slaves when they come of age, or they'll simply die in the war. And in the meantime, they grow up surrounded by the fallout of battle."

His silence continued. In spite of himself, he knew what she meant. _The fallout of battle…_

Now it was Sam's turn to push back from the table and stand up. If he wasn't following her, she wanted to be sure he did.

"The café you wanted to meet at… it exists in my timeline too," she said. "But it's different. It's busy, full of customers. The streets, the shops around it are full of life. I used to go there to get a taste of fun, of having a life, especially after I'd spent hours on end at the lab. The day I met you there … I wouldn't want that life… people were going through the motions, Jack."

Jack turned to look at her, his expression softening.

"Thanks."

"For what?"

"Calling me Jack," he said.

It was Sam's turn to be silent.

"Tell me about us," Jack continued.

"Excuse me?" Sam asked.

"You heard me," he said, certain she did. "Tell me about you and me, in your reality. What's it like? What are we like?"

Sam turned on her heel to face away from this man. This was more difficult that she thought it would be. Her feelings were close to the surface and it was becoming next to impossible to keep her reactions to him separate from her feelings for her husband. But she could give him this much.

Turning to face Colonel O'Neill again, Sam began.

"What are we like?" Sam repeated, a smile tugging at her lips at the thought of her Jack. "We're great together, that's how we are. In my timeline Jack was my CO for eight years, eight long years of life and death situations, saving the planet stuff. For eight years, duty and regulations kept us apart. I like to think we fell in love early on, like you and your Sam, but we never acted on our feelings until I was out of his chain of command. By then we'd developed a deep, trusting friendship. In the end, our love grew from that friendship. We respect and cherish each other. And I love him more than I ever imagined loving another person."

Jack smiled pleasantly, a far away look in his eyes.

"That's how I thought my Sam loved me," he said, sadness permeating his every word.

"Maybe it was just too much, the death of your child, I mean," Sam said, her heart going out to this man.

"You and 'General' O'Neill went through your fair share from what you've told me," Jack said. "And you're still together."

"We waited a very long time for what we have, Colonel," Sam said. "I don't think there is anything that could make us give it up now."

Jack nodded, then turned away to regain his composure. Without making eye contact he said softly, "I don't want my children to be slaves."

"I know," Sam acknowledged him.

"I need to talk with Kerry."

"You can't tell her what we're going to do."

"I can't tell her that her children are going to disappear at any moment?"

Sam simply looked at him.

"If this works, Jack," she said, "the Kerry you know will cease to exist. She won't remember having had any children."

Jack lapsed into silence, placed his head in his hands and sighed. When he looked up, he was resolute.

"In that case," he said, "I'm going home to say goodbye."

TBC


	18. Chapter 18 Goodbyes & Hellos

Chapter 18: Goodbyes and Hellos

In the makeshift laboratory of Area 52, Sam had been working non-stop on the Ancient flux capacitor for the past forty-eight hours. Both Daniel and Cam had stopped in more than once insisting she get some sleep, but she wasn't having it. Each time she made an effort to catch a few winks, she would wake suddenly, wondering how she was going to alter the capacitor for an accurate jump of less than one hundred years duration.

Sam was relieved Colonel O'Neill had agreed to pilot the ship. Thinking of his reluctant acquiescence, she thought back to her Jack's reluctance in the beginning. In spite of herself, Sam smiled as she recalled her husband's teasing about the time machine. His complaints about her refusals to let him go back to watch the White Sox World Series appearance in 1906 had been only half in jest. He'd been so irritated with her. He probably thought she was putting him on about the accuracy factor of the flux capacitor. She wished she had been. It would make it a lot easier now.

As it was, if she miscalculated, the four of them would be forced to spend an indeterminate length of time in the past, waiting for the correct moment to intervene, risking further damage to the timeline, or, worse yet, overshoot the mark entirely. In spite of her years of experience, Sam was still hounded by her tendency to anticipate the worst possible scenarios. She thought she was on the right track, but there was no way to know until they made the jump. If all went well, that would be sometime tomorrow. _We need to get home_, she thought. _I can't afford to be wrong. No pressure …_

"Sam…" a familiar voice called from the doorway.

The sleep deprived astrophysicist turned to find her father, or at least _this_ Jacob, standing there, looking at her with concern.

"Dad, what are you doing here?" Sam asked, doing her best to mask her emotions.

"Came to say goodbye to my little girl," Jacob said. "Your mother is in the next room. She wants to see you too."

Sam took a deep breath. She couldn't believe this was happening, saying goodbye to her parents again. Actually in her mother's case, she'd never had the chance to say goodbye. It was so hard to wrap her mind around all of this. In some ways it was the chance she'd never had. In others, it was too cruel to imagine.

"Okay," she said coolly with studied indifference. "Let me finish these calculations and I'll be right out."

President Carter wasn't fooled, but he decided to play along. "Alright, Sam," Jacob said softly. He had an inkling of how overwhelming this must be for the woman who was not quite his daughter. Despite her self assurance and accomplishments, she was human and the emotions of the moment were incredibly complex. He ought to know. The President of the United States wasn't doing so well himself right now. His own feelings were dangerously close to the surface. He reminded himself over and over again they were doing this for the well being of the planet; personal considerations had to be ignored in the interest of the big picture.

While Jacob quietly left the room to wait for Sam, closing the door behind him, Sam stopped what she was doing. She slowly lowered her head to the table in front of her. _I don't need this right now,_ she thought. In the midst of complex calculations to determine the correct moment of reentry and customize the settings of the Puddle Jumper, the last thing she needed were the emotions rapidly closing in on her. The grief of her parents' deaths had resurfaced in spades; it was like she'd lost them yesterday. _It's not fair,_ she thought. _I need to be calm and logical_, _I can't be doing this._

One of the blessings of being over forty was the ability to realize life wasn't always fair or predictable. Stopping to think about it, Sam realized she'd learned that for certain the first time she'd stepped through the Stargate. She could do this, she'd done harder things. Things like watching her father die before her eyes two years ago. But Jack was with her then; how she wished her Jack could be with her now.

Then again she wasn't a woman who needed a man, any man to support her. Her feelings for Jack were about what and who she _wanted _in her life. She could survive, could do what needed to be done, without him if she had to do so. That being said, she'd really prefer to have him with her.

OoOoOo

Colonel Jack O'Neill had spent the weekend with his wife Kerry and their boys, Justin and Ryan. Now, on Monday morning, he was expected "back at work". As far as Kerry knew this would be a routine week, with Jack spending time both at Cheyenne Mountain and in Washington. If she was lucky, she'd see her husband at most once before the next weekend. Little did she know that if everything went as planned, this weekend would be their last time together as family.

As weekends went at the O'Neill home, it had been peaceful, almost bucolic. Jack had been uncharacteristically attentive, so much so, Kerry was a bit worried. She'd said as much by Saturday afternoon. Jack had done his best to reassure her, kissing her gently and taking her and the twins for an apparently carefree day at the zoo. He'd hidden his angst behind years of carefully studied subterfuge and done his best to appear a doting husband and father, at least for these last days.

His relationship with Kerry had been cool at best over the past few months. Though he loved the boys more than he could say Jack never stopped missing Sam. Kerry was a good woman and she'd been there for him when he'd needed her most, but without the boys it wouldn't have been enough for a marriage. That knowledge brought him more than a little guilt even before _Colonel_ Carter had shown up.

Fortunately, the boys showed no signs they sensed anything amiss with their father. On the contrary, they clung to him as they always did on the rare days he devoted to them in their Colorado Springs home. He had no doubt that if this timeline continued his boys would grow up wishing their father was around more often. His Kerry hated Washington and for better or worse that was where he spent most of his time.

Sam was right. None of them had to know what was going to happen. They wouldn't be hurt, he told himself and no one would miss them. Though he couldn't believe it himself, he did believe Sam. She knew about these things, always had. _Things no one should have to think about,_ he said in his own mind.

Sam's reassurances aside, Jack left his house with a heavy heart. Without words, he'd said his goodbyes. He'd cherish the memory for as long as fate allowed.

OoOoOo

Jacob had encouraged Kathleen to stay at home in Washington while he came to see Sam off. She wouldn't hear of it. Her daughter or not, she was saying goodbye to the woman who for all intents and purposes was Sam Carter, probably the woman she was meant to be, minus the all-encompassing tragedy of her son's death. Though Kathleen remained in the dark as to the details of the pending operation, she knew enough to realize things would never be the same once this particular mission was completed.

Kathleen was the first one Sam saw when she finally left the lab.

"Mom?" Sam called as soon as she saw her. Once out the door, she realized her antiseptic white coat was still in place and proceeded to remedy that situation.

All Kathleen needed was to hear Sam call for her. She opened her arms and Sam came to her with no further encouragement.

"I love you," Sam whispered in the First Lady's ear. This was her mother as she'd never had an opportunity to know her. The feelings of love and loyalty surfaced without conscious thought.

"I know, Sam," Kathleen responded, pulling back slightly from the embrace. "And I love you, my darling." Kathleen's hands came up to caress her daughter's familiar face. Sam couldn't miss the tears in the older woman's eyes.

"Come, sit," Kathleen said, leading Sam to the matching chairs a few steps away. Jacob was seated there waiting for them, his own anxiety thinly veiled beneath a fatherly smile.

"Your father won't tell me everything, but I believe you are leaving on a very dangerous mission," Kathleen said. "It's likely I'll never see you again."

"That is likely," Sam admitted, struggling with her own emotions. More than a week ago when she'd first met Kathleen, she'd shared her mother's fate in the original timeline. Whatever else she knew, Kathleen realized she'd died long ago in Sam's reality.

"I am so very proud of you," Kathleen said. "Never forget that."

And with those simple words, Kathleen said goodbye. President Carter took it from there.

OoOoOo

Soon after Sam's meeting with her mother, Jacob convened an unprecedented strategy session with his trusted friend Jack O'Neill and three people from another timeline, one of them his only daughter.

In an old, poorly furnished room, where the table was marked with decades old scuffs and the chair cushions had seen better days, the five conspirators met. Strong in their resolve, yet uncertain of the outcome, they conspired to bring an end to Ba'al's ill-conceived enslavement of the planet Earth. With any luck, the subtle invasion that had begun in the midst of a World War would end up being no more than a figment of Ba'al's deluded, sadistic imagination, something that never happened at all.

When the Goa'uld were finally vanquished, Ba'al was furious. Narrowly escaping the final siege with his miserable skin, the arrogant miscreant resolved to regain the absolute power he craved. By an unimaginable twist of fate, he'd captured a surviving Ori prior, fleeing from the onslaught of Earth's forces. The creature, near death itself, was able to teach Ba'al to use a surviving Supergate to travel backwards in time. Ba'al was convinced that a less sophisticated Earth would be easy pickings for him and an ideal way to rebuild his Empire. Besides, it would serve Jack O'Neill right. The upstart human had been his undoing in the first place. Now his people would be the foundation of a larger, grander empire.

Ba'al's original plan had been to travel at least one to two hundred years into the past. But he and the prior had miscalculated, landing them in a more advanced phase of human development than they had planned. By then, humans had discovered the Gate at Giza and were in the initial phases of exploring Stargate technology. Though the setting wasn't ideal, Ba'al made the most of it, easily intimidating the leaders of the time with the power of the one Mothership remaining in his control.

Daniel, during the time he'd spent sequestered in the "library" had accessed historical records, pinpointing the time where history began to diverge from that known in the original timeline. Comparing those records with top secret government records of Ba'al's original interactions with Earth leaders, Daniel had determined the team would work to arrive in April of 1945. The first time Ba'al's existence was documented officially was April 14, 1945. Everyone, including Daniel, realized it would take a miracle for them to arrive at _exactly_ the correct time to stop any and all trace of Ba'al in Earth's earlier history. Still they could do their best.

Once everyone was as comfortable as they could be in the makeshift meeting room, the final planning session got underway. Jack had arrived shortly before the meeting began, an air of resignation hanging in his every movement. After three long hours of sifting information and rehashing pros and cons of various approaches, Colonel O'Neill spoke up, hoping to move things along.

"Carter knows how much I love listening to scientific mumbo jumbo," he said, doing his best to keep things light. "But let's cut to the chase. If I'm right, we're flying this contraption into the upper atmosphere. Then I'm gonna think happy thoughts of April 1945. These Ancient folks will wave a magic wand and presto-chango, we're all living before we were born. Does that about cover it?"

Sam couldn't help but smile. "That's the plan, Colonel," she said pleasantly enough.

"Yeah, then Daniel and I get to do the hard part," Cam teased.

TBC

* * *

A/N: In case I haven't mentioned it before alternate realities, timelines, universes give me a headache. It's probably the reason I haven't written any of these stories before. Hope this is holding together for you.

In any case, work is giving me a headache these days too. So next chapter, probably this weekend and not much sooner. Sorry.

Thanks for continuing to read. Reviews and any feedback are greatly appreciated.


	19. Chapter 19 Finding Ba'al

"_Carter knows how much I love listening to scientific mumbo jumbo," he said, doing his best to keep things light. "But let's cut to the chase. If I'm right, we're flying this contraption into the upper atmosphere. Then I'm gonna think happy thoughts of April 1945. These Ancient folks will wave a magic wand and presto-chango, we're all living before we were born. Does that about cover it?"_

_Sam couldn't help but smile. "That's the plan, Colonel," she said pleasantly enough._

"_Yeah, then Daniel and I get to do the hard part," Cam teased._

* * *

Chapter 19: Finding Ba'al

The next morning found an excited, somewhat apprehensive group of four explorers loaded into the Ancient puddle jumper, ready to embark on their fateful mission. All that was left were pre-flight calculations. Then under cover of darkness, the strange looking craft would emerge from the bunker and rocket towards the night sky. With any luck, the cloaked alien ship would go unnoticed or simply dismissed as yet another unidentified flying object.

Sam had assured her team and the President that where they were going (more specifically _when_ they were going) they would be able to slip in without detection. After all the 1940s on Earth were not a period of high technological development; radar was still relatively unsophisticated and then again, there was that handy cloaking device. All in all, the risk of discovery while piloting the puddle jumper was low. What would happen once they arrived and began to search for their quarry was another issue altogether.

It was that issue which even now occupied the imagination of the reluctant addition to the team. Jack O'Neill muttered under his breath as he proceeded with the final test activation of the piloting controls. Sure he was duly impressed with his ability to interface with this amazing alien technology, but his faith in the plan itself, sketchy as it was, was less than optimal. He trusted Sam, Cameron Mitchell even, but this …jumping to the right spot in history and then finding an evil alien somewhere in Washington, D.C. before he ever met with President Roosevelt, that was another story altogether.

"Damn it!" Jack exclaimed as his distracted thoughts led to a sudden power outage. _That had better not happen when we're in the air, _he thought.

"What happened?" Daniel asked coming over to the copilot's position.

Jack looked up at the innocent face of the younger man he didn't know.

"What do you think happened?" he asked. "I stopped …thinking. I do that a lot. You should know that before we get started."

Daniel snorted.

"What?"

"Same old Jack," Daniel said pleasantly enough, "sarcastic, full of attitude. You'll fit right in."

"You okay?" This time it was Sam who asked, her voice concerned.

"Yeah," Jack answered, standing up and stretching. "Bored is all. You know how I get. When are we out of here anyway?"

"Colonel, you know we have one more systems' check before we leave," Sam said, recognizing some of her husband's less than endearing characteristics. "Try to relax; we'll leave by 0400 hours."

"Another thirty minutes," Jack muttered to no one in particular.

"Afraid so, Colonel," Cam responded. "I'm with you. I want to get this bird in the air so we can get on with it."

Sam turned to give the two of them a withering look. Daniel simply stood to the side and observed.

"Fine," she said, feeling as though she were riding herd on a pair of junior high adolescents. "Why don't the two of you get out and stretch your legs a bit before departure time. You know, take a bathroom break, or fiddle with things, whatever will keep you out of my hair."

"… and let you and Daniel work?" Jack added.

"There's that," Sam admitted. "And I know you'd feel more comfortable, Colonel."

"Will do," Jack said. "On one condition…"

"Name it," Sam said testily.

"Call me Jack."

OoOoOo

In the end, Jack and Cam Mitchell climbed back aboard less than two minutes before the scheduled departure. Their absence had blessed Sam and Daniel with twenty minutes of uninterrupted silence to complete the pre-flight checklist.

"Glad you two remembered to come back," Sam quipped.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," Cam said. "I never traveled back in time like you guys have. It'll be a first for me, plus getting to kick Ba'al's butt again."

Sam and Daniel exchanged looks.

"I'll do it," Daniel said, nodding at Sam. "Cam, it's about all that enthusiasm of yours. It might be a good idea to keep some of it under wraps, if you know what I mean."

"What did I do?" Cam asked.

"It's just that there've been times the macho act has gotten us in more trouble than needed to happen," Sam supplied. "We're going into a very sensitive situation. A lot depends on how we handle this."

"And you don't think I know this?"

"I know you _know_," Sam admitted. "But you and Daniel are going out on your own to look for Ba'al. It's important that the two of you blend in, don't make waves. If you do anything to alter the timeline other than extracting Ba'al, we could end up with another whole set of problems."

"Point taken," Cam answered. "I suppose that's why we're all gussied up in these vintage Air Force uniforms," he added gesturing to the World War II style uniforms they'd decided to wear for the mission.

"Exactly," Sam responded, feeling everyone's eyes on her. "Are there any other questions before we get started?"

"Yeah, I've got one," Jack said. "If these Ancient folk were so smart, how come they never learned the Scotty trick?"

"The Scotty trick?"'

"You know, 'Beam me up, Scotty'. Be a lot easier than trying to park this thing."

"Oh, you mean a transporter," Sam supplied. "Well, actually they did have the technology. For some reason they never installed it on the jumpers." _What were the odds this Jack was a Trekkie too?_

Sam took her seat across from Jack, with Cam and Daniel bringing up the rear. All was in readiness. It was time for Jack to activate the drive engines and lift off.

OoOoOo

On his second attempt Colonel O'Neill managed to launch and maneuver the cloaked jumper out the hangar doors. With minimal effort he guided it into low Earth orbit.

"Now what?" he asked, all too predictably.

Sam got up to stand directly to his right. She began coaching him to do the impossible, something her husband did on regular basis as far as she was concerned.

"Now you take us back to April 1945. We need to be there before April 10th. Just do it as we practiced, Jack." Silently, she prayed the technical adjustments she'd made to the Ancient systems would allow for the precise placement of their jump.

Despite his desire to tell Sam she was out of her mind, Jack bit back his negative thoughts and did as she asked. He'd practiced visualizing the date they wanted, thinking it over and over again. They'd chosen to go with 4/8/45, deciding that would give them adequate time to prepare and not a lot of extra time to get in trouble.

_Fine, let's do this_, Jack thought, deciding to jettison his overwhelming skepticism.

Clearing his mind, Jack did as he was instructed, visualized the date and repeated it in his mind. He did this for no more than two to three minutes before he heard an odd sound from the area of the flux capacitor.

"What was that?" Cam asked, effectively breaking Jack's concentration.

Jack opened his eyes to see what looked like the identical orbital pathway he'd seen a moment earlier.

"See," he said. "Nothing happened. Nada. Zilch."

"Something _did_ happen," Sam insisted. "The capacitor pulsed. I'm thinking we've jumped."

"So how do we know?"

"We set it down and follow the plan," Sam said.

"The worst that can happen is we hide the jumper in our own time," Daniel said.

"Not exactly," Sam said. "We could be in the wrong time altogether."

"Hey," Jack interrupted. "Who's being negative now?"

Sam nodded. Jack began the planned descent.

OoOoOo

The team had selected Fort Dupont Park as the landing site closest to their destination where they'd be able to safely land _and_ conceal the jumper. Located on 376 acres of wooded area, they would be five to ten miles from where they hoped to locate Ba'al.

The jumper touched down without a problem, easily coming to rest in a small clearing Jack had spied from above. Sam assured the team they were off the beaten track as far as the frequented hiking trails of the park, but close enough to a main road to allow them to travel efficiently.

"Sam, you know I trust you," Cam said, "but how did you find this place?"

"I spent a lot of time in the Washington area before the Stargate program. I did a lot of hiking here when I was at the Pentagon actually," she said. "And, if you remember, Jack and I still have a home in Washington."

Colonel O'Neill turned to look at her, his face filled with conflicted emotions.

"Well we're down in one piece," he said. "Time to send the kids out."

Daniel smiled, "Yeah, why is it we get to take the five mile hike, while you guys … camp out in the woods?"

Sam sighed. "Remember, we decided Jack and I would stay with the ship in case something happened. Jack is the only one who can get it moving and I'm good for the technical expertise. Of course if you two have other ideas…"

"No, Ma'am," Cam replied. "You're right; we'd better get a move on. We'll stay in contact by radio. We'll check in as soon as we find out _when_ it is."

"Good luck," Sam said, handing Daniel and Cam their backpacks. "You two really do look like soldiers returning from the war."

"Good. Maybe someone will give us a ride."

OoOoOo

During the week Daniel had spent pouring over Top Secret government documents from the 1940s, he'd discovered the circumstances of Ba'al's first documented appearance on Earth. Apparently, he'd presented himself to Eleanor Roosevelt during one of her personal visits to Walter Read Hospital. Dressed as a decorated Army officer, he had caught her attention and trust almost immediately, making suggestions for improving the fledgling medical facility.

From there, Ba'al had proceeded to amaze the First Lady with what Jack often referred to as Goa'uld parlor tricks. Mrs. Roosevelt had viewed the use of a zatnicketel and the personal shield Ba'al had available to him at all times. He'd promised to share these treasures and others with the government, thereby cementing the Allies' advantage in the War

Ba'al had been ushered in to the White House later the same day where he met with the President and the Joint Chiefs. The team reasoned that if they could abduct Ba'al, preferably before his initial contact with Eleanor Roosevelt they could minimize if not totally eliminate his influence on the timeline. Sam theorized that simply abducting him would be enough to reset the timeline, but on that count she was uncertain. She'd insisted that killing him was not an option, since in itself it would cause more complications. So the plan was to grab him and get him back to the jumper. Obviously, it would be easier said than done.

OoOoOo

With the basic plan in mind, Cam and Daniel easily found their way to the main road. Sure enough, after trudging no more than a mile, a trucker stopped to pick up two weary combat vets, genuine heroes of their country in an age of unbridled patriotism. By the time the driver delivered them to there destination, less than half a mile from Walter Reed, they'd determined the date to be April 8, 1945.

They were halfway home.

TBC

* * *

A/N: Thanks for continuing to read and review. Hope you enjoyed the chapter. More to come soon. 


	20. Chapter 20 The Way Back to Purgatory

_With the basic plan in mind, Cam and Daniel easily found their way to the main road. Sure enough, after trudging no more than a mile, a trucker stopped to pick up two weary combat vets, genuine heroes of their country in an age of unbridled patriotism. By the time the driver delivered them to their destination, less than half a mile from Walter Reed, they'd determined the date to be April 8, 1945._

_They were halfway home_

* * *

Chapter 20: The Way Back to Purgatory

Finally, the time had arrived. It was time to take what was rightfully his. All along, he'd known he was meant to rule. Over and above all other Goa'uld, he was destined for greatness. Had it not been for the pesky Tau'ri his domain would have encompassed galaxies by now.

As it was, he'd been crushed, his holdings reduced to a pitiful handful of resources. A single mothership and less than a squadron of Jaffa were all that remained in his control. He'd lost everything else. More precisely, it had been taken from him. Though the audacity of the thieves still astounded him, he'd begun to come to terms with the indisputable fact of his defeat in the original timeline. In spite of his pride, as the final events with the Ori unfolded, Ba'al realized he could never be victorious against the combined forces of the Tau'ri, the free Jaffa and the Tok'ra.

But if these inferior species thought they could outmaneuver him in the end, they were sorely mistaken.

Making his way to the lobby of the leading US military hospital of the era, he was, as always, supremely confident. His ability to manipulate and exercise dominion over an inferior species was second to none. Dressed in the uniform of a 1940s Army officer, Ba'al cut a splendid figure. Surely, fate would continue to smile on him as it had when his Jaffa found the stranded Ori prior. That stroke of unexpected luck had made all of this possible.

It was a delicious irony. Watching the upstart Tau'ri revert to a world of slave labor, without their knowledge would be priceless. How he wished O'Neill and his irritating friends could witness his final triumph. But he'd settle for this. The Tau'ri and their pathetic little species would pay for their arrogance.

OoOoOo

Cameron and Daniel were dropped off less than a mile from Walter Reed. The helpful Good Samaritan who'd picked them up pointed them in the direction of a reputable rooming house. Here they would put the next pieces of their plan into action.

Daniel remained concerned he and Cam would be recognized. Sam had reassured him Ba'al would be unable to place them immediately; there was no way he'd expect to see his arch enemies dressed as soldiers in 1945 Washington D.C. Moreover, Sam insisted they focus on recognizing _him_. After all it was unlikely the cunning Goa'uld lord would walk in made up as his usual over the top self. Like it not, he'd learned a great deal about blending in with humans over the past year or so. This would be the perfect time to put that experience to use.

The team's success would depend on the accuracy of Daniel's recent research, the information he'd discovered detailing Ba'al's initial meeting with Eleanor Roosevelt. Timing would be crucial on this mission. They had no doubt Ba'al would be protected by his personal shield; they would have to take him unawares. Unfortunately, no zats were available in this timeline. The stun guns and nine-mils they'd brought with them would have to suffice. Stealth would be of the essence. Where was Teal'c when you needed him?

OoOoOo

As luck would have it, the two twenty-first century men were fairly believable as World War II vets. When they finally presented themselves at the main entrance of Walter Reed they were welcomed with open arms, even more so once they volunteered their services as orderlies. Insisting they'd both served as medics in the service put them in good stead and high demand within a health care facility struggling to keep up with the volume of injured soldiers returning from overseas.

Fortunately, their covers had been well planned. Each man assumed the identity of an Army medic due to return stateside in the near future. They were betting on a less than foolproof security system, one that would permit their charade to continue for the time needed. And permit it did. Undetected by those in charge, both men successfully smuggled in their communications devices, weapons and enough tranquillizer to subdue an elephant.

Once inside and provided with appropriate clearance and identification, the two transplanted SG1 personnel proceeded to get the lay of the land. In particular, they concentrated on the two major entrances to the hospital. If their calculations were correct they had about twelve hours before Ba'al made his appearance. In that time, they needed to determine as many details of the First Lady's impending visit as they could. Unfortunately for the staff looking forward to their help, these volunteers had little intention of bustling around transporting patients. Their focus, pure and simple, was on keeping an eagle eye out for Ba'al.

In the process, between the two of them, they managed to chat up several young nurses and members of the secretarial staff. In so doing, they learned the exact times of Mrs. Roosevelt's planned arrival and arrangements. With any luck they'd be able to spot their quarry in the crowd that would arrive to see the First Lady.

Sure enough, by 1300 hours the next afternoon, less than two dozen servicemen and a few Army nurses had gathered to greet Mrs. Roosevelt. It was a far cry from today's media orchestrated events where paparazzi and general hangers-on littered the corridors, not to mention the lobbies of hotels, conference centers and convention halls fighting for a glimpse of a celebrity.

But Mrs. Roosevelt wasn't coming for a photo op. She was coming to help the soldiers who'd fought for their country. She had no idea what lay in wait for her.

OoOoOo

"I hate being in here doing nothing," Jack said. "I should be out there with them."

Sam shook her head and chuckled.

"What?" Jack asked indignantly.

"I've heard that before is all," Sam said.

"Yeah? Your husband's as thick headed as I am?"

"Just about."

Over the past twelve hours, Sam and Jack had fallen into a comfortable routine inside the puddle jumper. Hidden as they were by thick stands of trees surrounding their well chosen clearing, they'd elected to dispense with the cloak, particularly under cover of darkness. Forty-eight hours would be a lot to ask from the puddle jumper's battery packs. They'd keep their eyes peeled and engage the cloak only when absolutely necessary. After all, that was part of the reason they stayed behind.

Sam had anticipated this time alone with Jack would be awkward to say the least. She was pleasantly surprised. He was easy to talk with, no pressure, no expectations. He wasn't her Jack, but still he _was_ Jack O'Neill. With that recognition, the two shared their divergent experiences of life and love. To her amazement, listening to this alternate Jack gave her even more appreciation of the man who was her husband. His stories about life with his Sam and their son, and even his willingness to freely share his depth of devotion to his new family, all of this reminded Sam of the strongly principled man she'd loved and married. What's more, she gained a fresh perspective on how much this man was sacrificing being here with her right now.

"Thank you," she said, seemingly out of nowhere.

He flashed a quizzical expression, one she recognized immediately.

"For coming, for helping us," Sam supplied.

"You knew I couldn't say no," he said, accurate in his assumption. "I could never say no to you."

Sam nodded and smiled sadly. She couldn't help but grieve for the man in front of her, the one who'd lost and would lose so much.

"I'm sure you've been a wonderful husband and father," she said, knowing the words might sound hollow, but meaning them nonetheless.

"Don't know about the husband part," he said. "I'm putting my money on the dad part though. My kids, they mean everything to me."

"I'll bet you're a great dad," Sam said sincerely. "My Jack will be too."

He studied her meaningfully for a moment. Then he asked the $64,000 question. "Will be? Anything I should know?"

She chuckled, gracing him with the smile she always saved for _her Jack_.

"Should know? I'm not sure," she said. "But my Jack will know, as soon as I see him. In my timeline, I'm pregnant."

"Really?"

Sam nodded.

"That's great," Jack said. "Wish I could be there for you."

"You will be," she said. "Always."

OoOoOo

Daniel and Cameron waited with the others in the lobby. It was there Mrs. Roosevelt would begin her visit and there that Ba'al, at least in her own historical accounts would first accost her. They were fairly certain he would be there. If not, they planned to tail the famous First Lady, discretely of course, throughout the rest of her visit.

As it was, their assumptions were good as gold. And they didn't have long to wait. Only fifteen minutes after stationing themselves on opposite sides of the entrance, Mrs. Roosevelt arrived flanked by her secretary and one security agent. Shaking hands with the waiting servicemen, she made her way to the far end of the lobby where she would offer a brief greeting.

They were certain Ba'al hadn't been among those waiting when they arrived. Again they were correct. No sooner than the First Lady began to speak, a latecomer arrived. At first glance a dapper, highly decorated officer, the six foot tall man was more than a little familiar to those lying in wait for him. If nothing else, his bearing gave him away.

"That's him," Cam spoke into his concealed radio. "He's the one with all the medals. Take your position, Jackson. Remember," he added, "we have to surprise him before he can activate the shield."

Daniel didn't stop to argue. He followed Cam's direction, his first glance confirming Ba'al's identity. _Stands to reason he's decked out like that; that ego will never die, _he thought

Without alerting their quarry, the two erstwhile hunters approached Ba'al from behind. Before he was aware of their presence, they stunned him from either side at close range. The weapons had exactly the desired effect. Ba'al slumped towards the floor, bolstered in the nick of time by the arms of his attackers. Surreptitiously, the same men who kept him from hitting the floor, deftly disarmed him and removed his personal shielding device in one fluid movement.

By the time the Sergeant-at-Arms approached them, eager to learn whether the visiting "Lieutenant" needed assistance, Daniel and Cam had their story well in hand. They told the well meaning sergeant that the dazed, now lumbering man they were supporting between them had been their commander on the western front. The poor man had valiantly defended his men, been captured and tortured within an inch of his life. Since his return stateside, he'd taken to drinking too much and come here today dangerously intoxicated.

It didn't take much to garner the sergeant's sympathy for the beleaguered officer. With minimal persuasion, Daniel and Cam managed to "borrow" an Army jeep for the express purpose of taking the apparently delirious war hero home in as dignified a manner as possible. Between the effect of the stunners and the large dose of tranquillizer he'd subsequently been given, Ba'al was unable to put up much of a struggle. His efforts appeared to be no more than those of a bumbling, drunken man trying mightily to deny his need for assistance.

For their part, the quick thinking SG1 men were now a bit flummoxed. Truth be told, they hadn't planned much beyond this. As they unceremoniously loaded a groggy, mumbling Ba'al into the Jeep, they realized this whole plan would be more complicated than they'd thought. Along with Sam, they'd assumed the simple act of stunning Ba'al, or at the most removing him from the First Lady's presence, would reset the timeline. Obviously, that hadn't happened.

OoOoOo

Home in these circumstances was the puddle jumper. Cam Mitchell's call to Sam on the topic of returning with Ba'al had been classic. She'd told him in no uncertain terms Ba'al was the last person she wanted to see ever again, but they had very little choice. If that's what it took to reset the timeline, who was she to argue?

"Now what?' Daniel asked, as soon as Cam had finished his call.

"Now, we improvise," Cam said.

"Maybe we have to get him off the planet," Daniel suggested.

"Or better yet, back to his own time."

"Well, what do you say we do both and see what happens," Daniel said. With that he put the military vehicle in drive and started towards the park and their hiding place.

OoOoOo

The drive to the park took less than ten minutes. After abandoning the jeep at the edge of the clearing, the final five minutes were spent lugging the still semi-conscious Goa'uld up the narrow dirt road towards the now cloaked jumper.

The sight that met Ba'al's eyes woke him up the rest of the way. He could barely contain his perverse glee when he realized Jack O'Neill was part of his welcoming party.

"I should have known you would be here," Ba'al moaned, shaking his head.

"So you must be the bad guy I've heard so much about," Colonel O'Neill began..

"Your insolence is unchanged."

"Glad to hear it," O'Neill quipped. "Now what do we have to do to get rid of you?"

Ba'al shook his head dismissively, looking around and noticing more of his surroundings.

"An Ancient time ship is it not?" he asked rhetorically. "Quite interesting, and of course O'Neill can operate this."

"Of course," Daniel supplied saving Jack the trouble.

"You are hurting me," Ba'al protested as Cam proceeded to bind him securely to one of the rear seats of the jumper.

"Well that's a damn shame, isn't it," Cam said, pulling tighter on the ropes. "I'll have to see what I can do about that."

"You do know that I will simply try again," Ba'al said. "Whatever you do, I will prevail in the end."

"Not this time, Ba'al," Sam said decisively. As she finished that simple statement of fact she attached a small device to his wrist. An matching device hung from a chain around her neck. "I think you've come to the end of the line."

If a Goa'uld could snarl, this one certainly did. No one paid him any mind.

"We're ready," Sam called. "Take us out of here, Jack."

"Yes, Ma'am," he replied, stealing one more look at the woman he'd love in every reality he could imagine.

Seconds later, they were back on Purgatory.

TBC

* * *

A/N: Sorry it took so long to get this up. It was hard to figure out. Hope it hung together okay. And thanks for hanging in there with me and the story.

Special thanks to the one or two reviewers who are keeping me on my toes pointing out some inconsistencies. Much appreciated.

Next chapter is the conclusion.

Of course, I'd love to hear what you think. Please review.


	21. Chapter 21 Returning Home

Chapter 21: Returning Home

Sam opened her eyes slowly. Her head hurt. Who was she kidding? Everything hurt. She was flat on the ground, her face in the dirt. She could hear commotion around her, angry raised voices to be precise. Obviously she wasn't alone. As she slowly lifted her head, she realized she wasn't the only one who'd been knocked off their feet. Daniel was on the ground no more than five feet from her, being tended by another figure. Vala, of course, it was Vala.

With some difficulty she began to roll herself over to her side, wincing at the sudden pain in her head. As she looked around, she realized she was back on Purgatory. There was no mistaking the god-forsaken place. Desolate and lacking in anything that could be called welcoming, Jack would call it the armpit of the universe. But at least it was her universe, and hopefully her time.

Now she could see two figures in the distance, standing just behind the gate. They looked familiar. One was clearly restraining the other. _What's going on?_

As her head cleared, Sam remembered. Ba'al, it had worked. She'd managed to bring him back with them. She closed her eyes, briefly savoring that part of her hard fought victory. At least they wouldn't have to chase him down. God knows, left to his own devices, he'd only try the same old trick again.

Slowly, she pulled her aching body to a sitting position. She raised her eyes to see a large, burly figure looming over her. He was familiar.

"Colonel Carter, are you injured?"

It was Teal'c. She'd know that calm, reassuring voice anywhere. Thank God, he was back with them.

"I'm fine, T.," she said. "You?"

"I am well."

"Sam?" Daniel called, walking over from his position. He'd apparently collapsed where he'd been dialing the DHD before the time shift.

"You okay?" he asked Sam, the only member of the team still not on her feet.

"I am," she answered, taking Teal'c's hand and allowing him to pull her to her feet. Without realizing it, her face fell into an uncharacteristic frown.

"What is it?" Teal'c persisted. He worried Sam was injured despite her protestations to the contrary.

"He's not here," she stated, failing to even notice Teal'c's confusion at her words. Daniel, however, understood immediately.

"I'm sure he's fine," Daniel said. "He's probably waiting dinner on you." Neither one felt the need to name the one they discussed. It was obvious who would be foremost in Sam's thoughts right now.

Sam smiled softly, resisting a small chuckle at the thought of Jack cooking.

"What about _him_?" she said, motioning toward Ba'al.

Teal'c's eyes shot to the Goa'uld who'd surprisingly joined them. He raised his staff weapon, preparing to fire. After all, the Jaffa had no idea what had transpired on Earth in the alternate timeline.

"Hey!" Cameron called out. "Stand down, Teal'c. I've got our old buddy trussed up pretty tight here. He's not going anywhere."

"How did he come to be here?" The perplexed warrior asked, struggling to accommodate his sudden return to the team.

"It's a long story," Sam supplied.

"If it's anything like the last few days I remember, I'm sure it is," Vala added.

OoOoOo

The team wasted no time returning to the SGC. Momentarily, Sam was concerned their codes would have been locked out, but she needn't have worried. From what she could tell, the timeline had been reestablished at the exact second of the original shift.

The Gate Room was exactly as she'd remembered it. A few more guards perhaps, ready to take Ba'al off their hands, but otherwise, not so different. Other than the tall, silver haired general standing at the end of the ramp, all was as it usually was.

Those who weren't with them on Purgatory, affected by the extraordinary magnetic fields surrounding that planet, retained no memory of their experiences during the intervening days, fourteen, by Sam's count. They had no idea of the hellish existence they'd managed to escape thanks to SG1's intervention.

All of SG1 however, retained complete memory of the time they'd spent in their respective alternate timelines. For Teal'c and Vala that meant memories of lives as they would have been had they never met the Tau'ri. Their stories would be shared in the upcoming debriefing and would haunt their nightmares for years to come.

OoOoOo

"What are you doing here?"

"I was coming to surprise you," Jack offered. "From what I hear, you're the one with the surprise for me."

Sam suppressed a small giggle, realizing that was truer than he realized.

SG1 had returned from Purgatory a brief twenty minutes ago. The debriefing was scheduled for one hour from now. Ba'al had been carted off to an undisclosed location to finally get what was coming to him. Everyone else had retired to their quarters to get cleaned up before meeting with General Landry. Sam had returned to the VIP quarters with her husband.

Jack was still reeling from the initial greeting he received from Sam. Gone were the days of quiet, restrained public greetings, where professionalism was the order of the day. Twenty minutes ago, Colonel Samantha Carter (O'Neill) had run down the ramp, flinging herself into his arms. And she'd held on for dear life as if she hadn't seen him in an age. It wasn't that he didn't like it, mind you; he was surprised was all. He could have sworn she was crying, but by the time she'd pulled away, she had herself under control and the tears were nowhere to be seen.

More than anything he'd been surprised by how she'd leaned into him after that, staying closer to him than usual all the way to his quarters.

Sam, for her part, luxuriated in the feeling of Jack's strong, hard body pressed against her own. Seeing him in the flesh made her realize anew how much she'd missed him. Add to that the fact she was bone tired, and she easily let herself lean on him all the way to their quarters.

Halfway there, Jack realized something was up and threatened to take her to the Infirmary. He'd only relented once she'd promised to rest before the briefing.

Now that he had her in his quarters, Jack took his time looking over the tired, strained appearance of his wife. She looked as though she'd been through weeks of battle, when as far as he knew, she'd been with the clean up team on Purgatory no more than forty-eight hours. He'd heard something about an alternate timeline during the team's initial check-in just before they returned through the gate. Sam had mumbled some details as they trudged through the hallways. But now, with Sam safely seated next to him, he wanted more.

"So you're saying this prior taught Ba'al to use the super-Gate to go back in time with his mothership, Jaffa … the whole shooting match?"

"Just about," Sam replied. "Most likely he ended up taking only the Alkesh, but that was more than enough to do the trick."

"And Earth became his slave labor colony?"

"Close enough," she said. "It was pathetic. The leaders, my father among them, never told the people the truth of what had happened. And the people blindly followed their leaders, continuing that war for decades. If we hadn't been on Purgatory …"

"See, I don't get that, Sam," Jack interrupted. "What did being on that planet have to do with all this. How come the five of you remember two weeks worth of alternate events and the rest of us think nothing changed?"

Sam looked at him as if to ask, _Are you sure that's all you don't get. _After all, even she didn't really understand all of what had happened.

"I'm not sure," she admitted. "We'll have to get more measurements and research data now that things are settled. My best guess is it had something to do with the strange magnetic fields on the planet partially blocking the time distortion waves." Taking a deep breath, her features set in concentration, she added, "It'll make a fascinating research project." Despite her fatigue, Jack could have sworn his wife looked like a kid in the candy store at the prospect.

Convinced by her excitement that Sam would be fine, Jack pressed on. "Okay, so how'd you get Ba'al back here with you? He wasn't on Purgatory when you started out. Why didn't he end up back wherever he was?"

"You had something to do with that."

"Me?"

"Yes, the alternate you helped. Colonel O'Neill and I had nearly two days in the jumper before the guys got back with Ba'al. And I wanted to have plan B, in case just finding Ba'al didn't reset the timeline."

"Wonder who you learned that from?" Jack asked with a smirk.

"Wonder, indeed," she replied. "Anyway, he, Colonel O'Neill that is, was concerned Ba'al would try this again if we didn't stop him for good. Of course, he was right."

"Why not just shoot the guy? Hasn't he caused us enough headaches?"

"That was considered. But you know what I've told you about …"

"Yeah, consequences in the timeline … I know," he said. The fact that he was pulling her closer to him and nuzzling her neck didn't exactly encourage Sam to give him any further information about Ba'al.

"And …" he asked, realizing he'd been distracting her.

"Can't you wait for the debriefing?" she asked, much more interested in having her husband with her than talking about Ba'al.

"I just want to know what sort of brilliant idea you pulled out of your … head, your beautiful head, this time," he reasoned.

Sam shook her head. He was so full of it. But in the end, she gave in and told him what he wanted to know.

"I played around with the time crystals in the Ancient time shifting device. You see, each of us has our own unique spatial alignment signature in each of multiple possible alternate universes. So when the timeline reset, I would go back to Purgatory with Cam and Daniel." Sam paused and looked at Jack wondering if he'd followed her that far. When he nodded she continued. "I just readjusted Ba'al's spatial signature to match mine."

"So that little medallion he was wearing, the one that matches yours, it wasn't a good luck charm?"

"No, Jack," she said indulgently. It was a pretty brilliant idea I had for dragging him back to Purgatory with me. It wasn't particularly good luck as far as he was concerned."

By now they were both sitting on the bed, Sam's head leaning on his shoulder, Jack's arm wrapped around her.

"I'm proud of you, you know," he said.

"I know," she admitted, realizing how much those simple words meant to her, especially when they came from her husband.

After a few minutes of silence, with Jack gently stroking her hair, Sam spoke her thoughts aloud.

"You're a good man, Jack O'Neill"

He had no idea where that came from, but saw no need to argue the point. He remained silent and waited for more.

"Even in another timeline, another world, you were willing to give up everything you knew to help protect the rest of us."

"That's good," Jack said, admitting to himself how overwhelming it was to think about an alternate timeline. "I'll bet I was pretty upset to see you go."

"We weren't married anymore in that timeline," she said. "We'd gone out separate ways years ago."

Jack looked at her, sadness filling his eyes. Then he said, "Never going to happen here."

"You're right," she said. "It's not. Besides we're starting a family."

Now he really was silent. At a total loss for words, Jack O'Neill could only search his wife's eyes for more information, for confirmation of what he thought she'd said, perhaps an inkling of how she felt about it. Her smile was all he needed.

"You're pregnant?"

She nodded, a shy smile taking the place of the brilliant smile of a moment or two ago.

Jack's shocked demeanor quickly morphed into a full out grin. Sam had her answer. He was as delighted as she was. As if to rule out any further doubts as to how he felt, Jack stood up, pulling Sam up with him. Lifting her at the waist, heedless of the ache in his knees, he swirled her around as if she weighed nothing. When they both came to a stop, he kissed her soundly.

"I love you," he said. "Are you sure you're alright? How long have you known?"

"Found out just before Purgatory. Sorry I didn't get the chance to tell you before I left," she said. "I didn't want to do it over the phone."

"You're forgiven," he said. "So long as you're alright, I'd forgive you anything."

Sam smiled and kissed him. And then she kissed him again.

Unfortunately, their hour was up. The intercom beeped to life and Walter's voice alerted them the briefing was about to begin.

"Damn it," Jack said. "Doesn't he know we're busy?"

"I promise," Sam said, "we'll come back and take up just where we left off after the briefing. Okay with you?"

"Yeahsureyabetcha," was the only reply a very happy General O'Neill could manage.

And for Sam, that said it all. She was home.

THE END

A/N: Thank you for reading.


End file.
